Her Keeper
by CrazyAna
Summary: He barely knew her. She did not know him at all. They were put together by the ministry, that promised them that they were each other's best match. With barely any time to date or enjoy their engagement period…..thrown in on their wedding add an ex-crush to the mix…How were they expected to cope, she wondered? How indeed.. he mused! (Now Complete!)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Wake up! This so not yours and yet not mine too!

 **Prologue:**

"Don't you think you are asking too much of the entire population…..? The young population….? The young population that has just fought valiantly against the most tyrannical of villains the magical world has ever seen?" The new Minister of Magic questioned the Wizengamot in front of him, a tad annoyed.

"We understand your concern Minister Shacklebolt. But what must be done, must be done. Like you just said, the young population has valiantly fought a war. But a war it was nonetheless. A war with all the losses that it incurs – with the loss of the people being at the forefront of it all. We need to build a nation again. And that includes not just the properties and the systems but the population also. We need the people to marry young and reproduce or face the challenges of a quickly dwindling wizarding population in Britain – one of the oldest wizarding countries in the world." The third member of the Wizengamot gravely replied.

"Now, unless you have another option that you would like us to consider, I suggest you get to work. You are after all a busy man, Minister," said the thirteenth member of the Wizengamot.

Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt was perturbed by such a blatant disregard of him but knew there was nothing he could do about it. He just stared hard at all the thirteen old men and then sharply turned his back and stormed out of the room. As they had said, he was a busy man and he just knew

w that things were going to get far busier now than ever.

On reaching his room, his first order was to call his most trusted employee and have him set up a new department for the new law. He'd be damned if he was going to let down the poor unsuspecting sods who put their trust in him after an upheaval of that magnitude down. If he had to do this, he was going to make sure he did his best to put the most-matched couples together. The instructions flew from his mouth the minute he saw his aide and within no time, the work began. It would still take two weeks for the results but he wanted his people ready for it so he decided to put it in the papers to reach the masses quickly. But before that, he knew he had to visit a few special people who would _have to be roped in_ if he was to live this down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 01:**

"You want me to do what?"shrieked the boy wonder.

"You heard me" replied the minister solemnly.

"But…but I'm in love with….with Ginny."

"I know."

"Can you promise me I'll be paired with her?"

"No, I can't. But rest assured that you _will_ be paired with your best match."

"I don't care about my best match! I want to spend my life with Ginny. It's her I love. I've fought a bloody war since….since as long as I have been a part of this…this magical community. Do I not deserve even a sliver of peace and happiness?"

"With great power comes great responsibility. People look up to you. They need you. Well, not just you.. they need their Golden Trio. They need to see that it is working well for you and therefore must be good for them too."

"But how can I convince them that it's good when I myself think it is nothing but mere shit!"

"No kidding. I really did try to talk the Wizengamot out of it but they won't budge. The notion has been passed and is turning into a law as we speak, whether we like it or not. And since it is out of our hands anyway, I feel we need to combat the tension. **Together.** Please just consider it, okay? I promise you that I am taking great care to ensure that the best procedures are used to guarantee a thorough work. But the public needs its war heroes again. They _trust you_. And I really feel you need to do this for them. They fought the Death Eaters while you were with Voldemort. They suffered bravely for a better tomorrow. I am not putting down your sacrifices but just pointing out that others made similar sacrifices too. You at least knew what was happening, they didn't. And yet they chose to be with you. I feel that you now need to choose to be with them too."

"But now that I know of the Marriage Law, I could just go ahead and marry Ginny today before your press conference and exempt myself from this law?"

"Yes, you could."

"And you still told me about the entire charade knowing this?"

"Yes, I did."

Harry considered this new piece of information and stared hard at the Minister of Magic, found what he was looking for and just gave a curt nod and walked back into the Burrow. Just before entering the homestead, he turned around, looked straight at the minister saying, "Owl me the time and place of your conference and we'll be there."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 02:**

 _The Daily Prophet_

 _The Marriage Law, 1998_

 _Yesterday, the Wizengamot passed the age old Marriage Law citing the quickly decreasing wizarding population as the main cause behind this new law. Every unmarried individual from the age of 17 – 45 comes under this law. They expect the couples to be chosen by the end of the next week. A letter along with the laws, the expectations, the punishments and the name of the match will be sent to every individual that remained unmarried or unengaged as of last evening. The couples shall have 2 months to wed and 2 years to conceive a child from this wedlock. While a petition of separation may be filed on the basis of abuse or infertility, every other reason for separation will be overlooked for the next 5 years at least. The Minister of Magic however proposes to rule the separation out for the sake of the child the couples are to have._

 _The Boy who lived and then lived again, was seen at the conference sharing his faith in the ministry under Shacklebolt. When asked if he would be okay with separating from his long-time girlfriend Ginerva Weasley, he just gave a rueful smile saying whatever shall be, shall be for the best. "If we are meant to be together, we will be placed together. If not, I promise to care, provide and protect for my ministry chosen wife. And who knows, may be in time we could even forge a friendship, may be even get to love each other?" Saying that he apparated out._

 _Ronald Weasley, another member of our Golden Trio was also present at the conference. He expressed his desire to acquaint himself with his wife-to-be soon. "I can't wait to know who she is. I am very sure that she is going to be the best thing for me. In fact, I am even thankful towards the ministry for taking this decision for me. It at least spares me from going through unnecessary heart ache and rejection," he joked. Winking at the camera, he too apparated out._

 _Hermione Granger, the true brain behind the Golden Trio, was absent from this conference. When asked about her, the Minister replied saying that she was out on a mission, trying to round off a few rouge Death Eaters gone loose. However, he was very sure that she too would wholeheartedly accept and support this ministry decision. Now, was her absence really because she was 'out on a mission' or was it her way of expressing her blatant disregard for the new law is anybody's guess._

 _Come the Monday after, and we shall all be clued in._

 _-Debra Simpson, Senior Reporter, Daily Prophet_

"Oh how I hate these reporters!" screamed Ginny. Her flaming ginger hair tied back in a neat pony tail, she scanned over the article and felt frustrated enough to toss out her scrunchie and pull at her hair. The Law was shit to say the least. But having them paint Hermione's absence as 'a blatant disregard towards the ministry' was just crap! Especially because (ironically enough) she was out on the minister's bidding, helping the new aurors round up a few rouge Death Eaters. Harry and Ron had just come back from their missions last afternoon and then attended the press conference in the evening. They were to start their auror training next week and hence were given a shorter assignment. Hermione, however, wanted to give her NEWTs (big surprise there! Ginny thought with a mental eye roll) and then make an informed career choice. Therefore, they had given her a slightly longer mission and sent her out of the country as she had time for her exams till November. "Sometimes, people really overlook the simplest of things" she muttered and started fidgeting with the newspaper, her nails, her fingers and tapping her legs all at once.

!

The dreaded day was soon upon them and all the Weasleys along with Harry waited at the dining table for the letters that were to seal their fates. Mr. Weasley was sitting at the head of table spot, with Molly on his right and Bill on his left. A pregnant Fleur sat on Bill's right. The couple having come that morning to offer their moral support to Bill's siblings. On Fleur's right was Ginny with George on her other side. Percy sat opposite his father. With Charlie on his right, followed by Ron and lastly Harry. Hermione still hadn't returned from her mission, so the seat next to him was, for the time being, vacant. Harry kept throwing fugitive glances at Ginny whenever he thought no one was looking. Ginny however did notice that and those small looks were breaking her heart.

The ministry owl soon swept in with numerous letters. Percy quickly collected them all, fed the owl a treat and passed them all on to his siblings. Everyone had their letters in hand and were anxiously staring at them when Mr. Weasley asked them to go age-wise.

"I can't wait that long with this tension" snapped Ginny and ripped open her letter. Her tensed shoulders sagged with relief and her eyes lit with sheer joy and she looked up straight into Harry's eyes screaming, "No one can separate us now!" Harry's entire demeanour changed and he quickly ripped open his letter to see Ginerva Molly Weasley written in there somewhere. He did not even bother reading the whole damn thing. As long as he was with Ginny, he didn't care if they wanted him to waltz a Hungarian Horntail into submission. She was his. Fated. He slugged down in pure relief, looked up at her with love shinning in his eyes and apparated out. Before anyone could react to that. He came back, knelt beside Ginny and opened a small box with a beautiful ring at the centre.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" hollered Ginny. Everyone laughed at that. Harry hadn't even proposed to her yet. "I've been lugging it around for days waiting for the perfect moment and then the blasted law came in. I thought I'd never be able to give this you and it broke my heart. Ginerva Molly Weasley" he said with small tears in his eyes, "will you do me the honour of being my wife? I promise to love and cherish for the rest of my life. I…" and Ginny kissed him passionately on his lips in front of her entire family drowning out his proposal speech, not that he was complaining. He returned the kiss with much fervour, forgetting where he was for a second. But just for a second. Immediately after that, there were gaging noises and threats from her brothers and he sheepishly pulled apart from her. "I'm yours Harry. I want you marry you immediately!" He grinned like a fool at that. "I'd marry you tonight" he said. "Tonight it is. Just us. We're getting married." Ginny screamed way too excitedly. A cacophony erupted after that but Ginny would not relent and so they were married later that evening. Harry couldn't stop smiling and looking at Ginny - _Later_ their eyes said to one another. They sat back down together with huge smiles plastered on their face. They eyed the others. Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and tried again. "Well now that that's over would you all like to just open your letters and tell us who our new daughters-in-law are going to be?"

There was a loud ripping noise as all of them ripped off their envelopes at the same time.

"Hey! I've got Audrey Haymond" sighed Percy happily. He was dating her anyway and thought that they could make it work.

"Hey, look! I'm with Angelina Fre…." George stopped mid-way. His smile froze and Mrs. Weasley's eyes misted over. They were still coping with Fred's loss but Mrs. Weasley knew that George liked Angelina, a lot. She shared his passion for pranks and the shop and knew that this was a good match. She would help him cope better with his loss.

"As long as I'm not stuck with Lavender Brown" muttered Ron making everyone laugh and lightening the mood. "Uhm…..okay….so…alright then….. Looks like I'm with a Alicia Harrington," he shuddered at that. "Hey be nice! She is a dear friend of mine!" said Ginny tossing a toast at Ron which he promptly caught in his mouth. "Looks like I'll be doing with your friend what you do with mine" muttered Ron under his breath. Mrs. Weasley let out a screech at that. "How dare you Ronald Bili….." The fire roared green at that point with a floo call. Charlie answered it and invited the caller over.

Within a second, out stepped a handsome young man. He faltered looking at the big group in front of him, sucked in a quick breath and put on a big bright smile that the Prophet and the Witch Weekly had quoted to make women weak in their knees. "Hello everyone!"

"What a surprise! To what do we owe such a pleasure" asked Charlie, going to shake hands with his old team member. "Oh! It's been so long" said Percy with a friendly wave and smile. "Fancy seeing you here" smiled George. The new comer looked around smiling, passing hellos and extending greetings to the elder Weasleys before saying, "Uhm… I actually came looking for Hermione Granger. She is apparently my ministry match" he said holding out his letter in his hands.

Everyone was shocked for a second and probably for the first time at the Burrow with all the children present, you could hear a pin drop. But just for a second, mind you. A flurry of explicit words flew from every mouth thereon. "I can't believe it!" exclaimed Ron. "On my word" said Mrs. Weasley none too softly. "Lucky dame" whistled Fleur which got a few more chosen exclamations out from Bill. It took a good five minutes for everyone to settle down again. Harry seemed to be the best at it and stood up, formally shook his old captain's hand and invited him at the table.

"Oh yes dear! Please do come. Hermione is just like a daughter to me and that makes you family. Let me quickly grab you a plate and a cup of tea." Saying this, Mrs. Weasley dashed to the kitchen.

Sitting down, he looked around the table at everyone, smiling politely. He had of course been to the Burrow in his Hogwarts days, what with most of team being in residence here. But it had been long since his last visit. Not that much had changed, he mused looking around. They all still looked content and happy and were chatting away all at once. Bill was dotting on his wife. Charlie was smiling secretively ( _why? he wondered_ ). George looked a little lonely, though that was no surprise. He had of course attended Fred's funeral and had seen the devastated look on George's face as they had buried his twin. He had looked as if he wanted to jump in himself. Percy on the other hand, was looking quite smug ( _as always, he mused_ ). Ginny looked serenely beautiful and at peace though there was mirth shinning in her eyes and it was that light that told him that he was going to be getting a few answers soon.

"So….." she started.

"So" he looked at her warily.

"She is not here, you know"

"I had figured that by now. Honestly, I had half expected it. She probably lives elsewhere, doesn't she?"

"No" replied Ginny. "She lives here. She is just out on mission for the ministry. Though we don't know when she'll be back."

"Oh"

"Yes, _oh_! But don't worry, we," she said pointing at herself, Harry and Ron, "know her very well. So just pretend we are her and ask away whatever you need to."

He felt heat creeping up his neck and gulped. Charlie, from the other side of the table saw the exchange and burst out laughing, thankfully drawing attention to himself.

"Hey! You never did tell us who your match is" piped in Ron.

"That's cause there is no one" said Charlie smugly.

"How's that again?" that was Percy.

"You see little brothers, I am not a resident of Britain anymore so the ministry has no control over my actions and can't dictate laws to me. They've only requested me to consider Britain as a place to birth my child if and when I shall have one. Ha!" sang Charlie, looking a little too pleased with himself.

"Blimey! You lucky sod!" replied Ron.

"Language, Ronald" quipped his mother, returning from the kitchen with a plate laden with enough food to feed half his team, mused Oliver silently, along with a cup of steaming hot tea. Harry smirked at his expression while he was eyeing the plate, saying he'd get used to it soon.

The breakfast was a boisterous affair. After which everyone started gearing up for the day ahead. He too was just about to take his leave when Ginny suggested he write a letter to Hermione. Seeing nothing to lose, he did just that, handed it over to Ginny who promised to pass it on to Hermione, took everyone's leave with a promise to come back soon for a Sunday lunch to Mrs. Weasley and flooed back to his place for a quick change before running for his practise sessions at the Puddlemere United Stadium.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 03:**

The following Tuesday, Hermione apparated to the burrow late at night and crashed on the bed. She did not stir for the entire of the next day. It was Thursday morning that she finally managed to crawl out of bed. Swearing to refuse further favours to Kingsley, she stretched, freshened up and walked down to the breakfast table.

"Somebody's awake" mused George.

"Morning" she replied.

Before the interaction could go any further, Ginny pulled her by her wrist back to their room.

"Honestly Gin! I am sorely tired and raving hungry. Can't this wait?"

"No" was the firm reply. Though she refused to elaborate.

Upon entering the room she had walked out of just minutes ago, Hermione refused to speak to Ginny without getting any food first. Flustered, Ginny ran down the stairs and back up in a matter of minutes with hot pancakes and coffee, just what Hermione needed.

Hermione happily cut the pancakes and gulped the first few bites down washing it with coffee, before turning her attention to her best girlfriend.

Their friendship was strong enough that they by-passed the need to exchange pleasantries and Ginny got straight to the point. She filled Hermione in on the new Marriage Law, Kingsley's special requests to the Golden Trio, her own wedding with Harry (where Hermione hugged her and cried and congratulated her whole heartedly) and then passed on Hermione's ministry letter to her that had come in yesterday morning when she was asleep, dead to the world.

Hermione looked at the letter with nothing short of dread on her face, her blood running cold in her veins. She then carefully tore the envelop and unfolded the letter. Ginny knew they were stalling tactics but she didn't say a word because she also knew that Hermione needed to face this by herself. It was for that reason alone that she did not tell Hermione who her ministry match was.

Heart thudding loudly, Hermione read and then re-read the letter a good seven times before gulping hard and reading it again. It basically said that she had to be married within 2 months ( _that's before she even gave her NEWTs_ ), she had to consummate her marriage within 24 hours for the wedding and that they had to…well… have sex for the want of a better term, at least once every week (unless either or both partners were travelling for work) till the time she conceived, within a two year time frame. There would be regular health checks for both, her partner and her, separation petition would be considered only in cases of abuse or infertility. So all in all, she was stuck. Well and truly stuck as she couldn't imagine divorcing the father of her child after 5 years of marriage. They had to have at least a 2 week dating period in case of new couples and they had to go on at least 1 date before their marriage. A ministry official would officiate their wedding. And last but not the least ( _and that was the part she was truly stuck at_ ), her ministry match was Oliver Wood! Oliver Wood for crying out loud! Not that he wasn't a good man, he was. He was kind, sincere and loving. He was also drop dead gorgeous! Most of the girls in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and even Slytherin for that matter were crazy about him back in his school days. He was now a professional league player in some team or the other and dubbed as the most eligible bachelor in the United Kingdom. Unlike most pure bloods, he was sensible and sane, and had fought on the light side at the battle of Hogwarts just a few months ago. He would be a good partner and would treat her well, she knew that. But she also knew that his life revolved around quidditch and Hermione had never even successfully mounted a broom for Merlin's sake! How was this going to work? How at all?

As if reading her thoughts, Ginny smiled at her kindly and said, "I'll help."

!

After reading the letter by Oliver, that basically invited her to get in touch with him, Ginny convinced Hermione to go out with her citing a much needed girl time. It was Thursday, and Harry and Ron had left in the morning for their training so it was just the girls and Mrs. Weasley at home. Everyone else being at their respective jobs.

It was close to lunch time when Ginny innocently mentioned a new place she wanted to check out to Hermione and they then dressed, Ginny in a cute little navy blue summer dress with an open-knit short cardigan on it and Hermione in her patented muggle slim fit jeans, a soft cotton top and a light jacket. She threw a scarf around her shoulders to complete the look and put on her blue converses. Both girls looked chic in their own way as they made their way to the apparition point. On reaching it, Ginny mentioned that she wanted to surprise Hermione and asked her to hold on to her as she would apparate both of them to their destination. And with a loud pop they were gone.

On reaching their destination, Hermione took a few moments to get her bearings and blinked. She then got on a loud rant, yelling at Ginny colourfully.

"Call me what you may, but you need to meet up with the man you are about to marry. You have no idea when your next assignment might turn up and then you'll be gone for Merlin knows how long. Plus, they are all gearing up to re-introduce quidditch after the war. So, Oliver will also be extremely busy and caught up soon enough. So, pray tell, why waste the precious little time you have with him before your impending nuptials?"

Well, Hermione had no reply when Ginny put it like that but this was just _odd_ and she was not going to go down without a fight. "Like you said, he might be very busy in there."

"Oh I'm sure he is but we aren't here to disturb him. We'll just say a flying hello and be out before his lunch break ends."

"Oh my God! You planned this, didn't you Ginerva Weasley-Potter?"

"Of course I did! You need a push and it's not gonna be just this once too! Now come on, let's go in."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 04:**

Oliver and his team was having a hell of a time. Their coach had gone positively bonkers making them wonder if he was under the Imperious Curse after all. Coach Macmillan wanted the team to make a comeback with a bang after the war and he was absolutely grating them every morning and then frying them post lunch. By the time he was done with them, they were just about dead. Sometimes, the war seemed an easier option for Oliver compared to this. But he loved it. Every single minute of it and wouldn't let it pass for the world. Especially now that he was Puddlemere United's Captain this year on.

Just when the team was counting the minutes before their long awaited lunch break, they saw some activity near the stands. The stadium's receptionist, by the looks of it had come rustling down to the stands towards the coach. After a quick word with her, the coach called the team down for their lunch break. _Finally_ bristled everyone. Just when he was to land, the coach informed him that he had visitors in the waiting area at the stadium.

Confused about who it could be as no one who knew Oliver would disturb him during his quidditch practice, ever, Oliver simply nodded his head and started walking towards the waiting lounge. Thinking longingly about hot food and fervently praying that the visitor would leave in 5 minutes flat so that he could make a run for the cafeteria and enjoy his lunch break as he was supposed to. Eating!

Two women facing their backs to the door greeted his entry. One was a flaming ginger head – definitely a Weasley, Ginny, making the brunette next to her…. _Hermione_.

He stood there, happily unnoticed for the moment, and took in the sight of his soon-to-be wife. She was petite, may be 5 feet 2 or 3, had waist length brown hair, though it wasn't as unruly as he remembered from his Hogwarts days, they were curly nonetheless, bushy yet shiny, _glorious_ was the word that sprung to his mind then. Shapely legs that somehow seemed long despite her short height and marked lack of heels. So not an avid dresser then. _Brilliant_. He had always hated those women who thought they had to dress up to the hilt every single time they stepped out of their homes to send an owl or something as trivial as that. She looked more of a comfort dresser and he liked that. Very much. Shaking his head slightly at the notion of liking anything about a woman he hadn't even seen the face of in nearly 4 years, the time at the battle not counting, he cleared his throat to draw their attention.

Both the women turned at the same time, as if in a practised move and smiled at him. Ginny's was an award-winning one for some weird reason, while Hermione's was a small tentative one.

"Hey there!" totted Ginny, breaking the quiet in the waiting room. "There you go," she said, pointing at Hermione while still looking at Oliver, "just as I promised. You owe me big, Wood. Without me to intervene, I don't think you would have had a chance to meet your ministry intended any time before the ministry ball next week and knowing Kingsley, he would probably have just shoved you in front of flashing cameras before you even got a chance to say ' _Howdi madame'_ to our golden girl here."

From the corner of his eyes, Oliver saw Hermione visibly flinch at the title conferred up on her repeatedly by everyone. So not one to bask in her glory then. Good too, thought Oliver. He hated the pompous ones more than the dressy ones! "I'll go and introduce myself to the coach I think" Ginny offered and moved out. "Be good" she winked and almost glided down the hall leading to the stadium.

"Should I be worried?" stated Oliver, giving a quick glance at Ginny's retreating back.

"Knowing her, you as well might be" deadpanned Hermione.

"So, Granger" _oops_ he thought, _who calls his would-be-wife by her last name_?

She dipped her head in acknowledgment "Wood."

He deserved that he guessed.

"Look, let me be honest with you and make it quick so that you can return to your lunch. I understand you do not need this, trust me no one does. It sucks but we have no choice. I'd rather not be in Azkaban right now, have got too many enemies in there," she smiled at her own joke. "Anyway, I can promise I'll try to be as little an intrusion on your life as possible. Please feel free to continue on as you may. I'm giving my NEWTs in November, plus I travel a lot for work, so you won't really have to worry too much on my account. Just, if possible, I'll really appreciate it if you keep your …. _other interests_ away from the paparazzi. I do not need more heart ache right now!"

"Are you just dense or are you specifically trying to rile me up?" Oliver asked with a little ice in his tone. "Either ways, I do not know what I did to deserve this treatment from you. We are gonna be married and that means something to me. May be in the muggle world you all have easy divorces, but here in our world, marriages are pretty much permanent and come with fidelity stamped on the band! I'll have you and you'll have me for the rest of our lives, that's that. I'd rather not separate after bringing a child into the equation. Let me know if that suits you or we could think about petitioning for other matches."

Hermione paled at his banter. "I am sorry, Wood. I did not mean to offend you" she said in lieu of a truce. "It's just that most quidditch players have trophy wives and I'm not that good looking to be one. I'm not an arm candy you can parade around, I'd be a sore disappointment in that section. This," she pointed at herself "is me. Jeans and converses. I'm not the short dresses, flirty kind of things most _players_ surround themselves with! And I don't think I'd ever want to be someone like that too."

"And who told you that's what I want in my wife?" Oliver asked a little more annoyed now. "Yes, players surround themselves with such things, but who takes them home to their parents? No one. We are all still humans, Granger. We too would like a shot at wives with substance and character. So can you please stop selling yourself short?"

"I am sorry."

"And just stop with the apologising!" he snapped. There was no sound for the next minute. "What? No apology?"

"You just asked me not to," she pattered back, eyes wide, mouth in an o.

"Good," he smiled, "Now tell me something about yourself."

She arched her brows at that. "What about your lunch?"

"I'll skip it," he shrugged, ignoring the grumbling protests in his stomach.

"No way. You need the food to remain fit and attentive! Ginny just told me that you've been promoted to Captain. Congratulations by the way. But that's more so a reason to behave. Now please go have some lunch, we can always talk later" she ranted on.

"Are you always this bossy?" he questioned, brows furrowed.

She bit her lip at that. "Yes."

He considered her answer for a moment before replying, "I think I can learn to live with that" he half smiled. "You'll do, Granger. Owl me when you're free next so we can have our first date and talk with a little less hostility. Make sure you do that before the Ministry ball if you'd like me to accompany you."

Hermione opened and then shut her mouth, behaving like a fish.

"I can't say yes to a question that hasn't been asked yet, now can I?" and with that he was gone.

!

"There you go?….Am I a sack of potatoes Ginny?…." Hermione offered laughingly. Ginny fixed her with a pointed look stating that she knew this was Hermione's way of changing the topic but she would let it pass for now. So, being a sport, Ginny bit the bullet and the two women glamour charmed themselves up to move incognito through the day and walked into Diagon Alley to get some serious shopping of unwanted tit-bits underway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 05:**

Hermione owled Oliver with date plans for Saturday and he agreed. He flooed to the Burrow and saw her sitting by the big window in the den with a book in her hands. He smiled at that. It seemed like a very familiar sight to him. He remembered that every time he had seen her at Hogwarts, she'd had a book in her hands, head bent down. Even when she came to the practice sessions to support Harry, she would still be bent on some book on another, only looking up once in a while to ensure Harry was safe, and then go back to her reading.

"Good morning lass," he called while dusting the soot off his clothes.

Hermione looked up from her book, a little confused, then her eyes bulged, ready to pop out when she recognised him. _He looks hot,_ Hermione thought, blushing a little, eyeing his form fitting dark blue denims and plain white button down shirt rolled up till a little below his elbows, a coat draped casually over an arm.

He had finished dusting the last bit of soot off and looked up just in time to see Hermione thoroughly checking him out. "Will I do alright?" he asked amused, smile evident in his voice, lips crinkling in a smile.

"Oh stop it! You look good and you know it!" she threw back a little flustered, eyes rolling.

He smirked, "It's always nice to be appreciated, though. Warms my heart" he winked.

"Trust me when I say this Wood, the last thing you need is a little more ego stroking – it's as big as it comes anyway."

If it was just some random bird he was trying to charm the pants off, he would've never missed such an obvious opening and easily let it slip that his ego was not the only thing 'as big as it comes'. But she was not a random girl, for one, she was _the_ Hermione Granger who knew way too many hexes for her own good and two, they were supposed to be getting married soon and three, he had no idea where she came from on any front, and wasn't sure if she'd appreciate or hex his response off. So he bit his inner cheek and held his hands up in mock surrender. "On that note then, shall we make a move?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Let me just grab my coat. We'll have to walk till the apparition point beyond the garden, from there I'll side apparate you along. Oh and before I forget, Mrs. Weasley has invited you over for the Sunday family fiesta tomorrow. You should come, it's usually a lot of fun."

He creased his nose at that, "A few questions lass, where are we going? And what exactly is a family fiesta?"

"Oh that! I thought about the place for a while, you know some place we could actually sit and talk undisturbed and then realised that between us, we'd actually have to cross hemispheres to find such a place, so I thought we could go into muggle London. I know a few nice places there. They may not be particularly quiet, but we'll have privacy to talk, I guarantee it…..Oh come on, don't look so shocked, I'll protect you, I promise," she smiled, mischief turning her eyes warm caramel. "And the family fiesta is actually the Sunday lunch. Everyone gets together and we have lots of food and fun. Everyone is getting in their better-halves-to-be tomorrow so you're invited too. But don't worry, if you don't want to or can't, I'm sure everyone will understand," she gave a small smile at that too but it didn't quite reach her eyes this time.

 _She speaks with her eyes,_ he smiled. "Thank you for the promise of protection, and remember no one is gonna thank ya for riskin the Puddlemere Captain's neck," he joked to lighten the mood. "And for tomorrow, I think I'll come. It'll be nice to actually chat up with everyone after a long time." _It'll be nice to see you in a different light too_ he mused.

!

She apparated them to a by-lane and from there they walked to a quaint little coffee shop opposite Trafalgar Square. They sat down opposite each other on the plush chairs. A waiter came in and handed them two menus.

"The food sure looks different," Oliver said after 10 minutes of blankly staring at the menu without a clue of what to order.

She chuckled. "Would you like me to order for you this time around?" she offered.

He shrugged, "Sure, why not."

"So what do you like to eat? Eggs? Chicken? Bacon? Sausages? ….."

He grinned, "All of the above."

She just shook her head. "Okay… what juices do you like? Orange? Pineapple? Apple?..."

"How about pumpkin?"

"That might not be an option. It's a muggle joint after all."

"Surprise me then."

She smiled and ordered food for them both. They mutely stared at each other till it came. He gobbled down a few bites and complemented the taste and their morning began. They got chatting, a few tits and bits here and there, about trivial things, big dreams and everything in between. About quidditch and his love for it, about books and her love for them, and about how one hated the other's passion with vengeance!

"Do you know how unsafe it is. The recent statistics show…. And don't even get me started on brooms!" she tried to inform him.

"Really! But that's just so boring! Imagine sitting in one place all through the day and reading a big tome just for kicks….." he was aghast.

And yet it was gone 4 by the time he looked at his watch again and he was surprised at how easily conversation flowed between them. That and the thing called coffee. He was really getting to like its bitter punch after about his 3rd cup!

"Oh my! Did you look at the time?" she gasped aghast at the watch and at the number of cups littering their table. "I'm not gonna be able to sleep tonight with all that caffeine in my system."

 _Me too_ Oliver thought in his mind, _but probably for different reasons_ and smiled.

"Walk?" she asked. He nodded and asked for the check.

When the time came for settling it, they both reached for it at the same time. "No chance am I letting you pay for this lass."

"Really? Okay then, do you have any muggle money on you now?"

He froze! Of course he didn't. Who carried it any ways? And he said as much.

She smiled at that. "We are at a muggle joint Wood! Now, drop the check and let me settle it."

He blushed at his stupidity. "Only if you promise to let me pay you back for this."

"No. But I'll let you plan our next date and pay for it too. Sounds alright?"

 _She is giving me a second date!_ Of course that sounded great! "Okay. I relent" he said and passed the check to her. She pulled out a small green card sort of a thing and the waiter used a machine and in a minute he returned her card and they were good to go.

"That's funny money" Oliver mused when they were out the door.

She threw her head back and laughed at that. The sound warmly rolling over Oliver. He took a small tentative step towards her, getting his hand out to push back a wayward curl from her face when someone called for him from the back.

"Ollie? Is that you?"

He froze. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He turned, his movements a little stilted, pain darkening his warm brown eyes as he looked at the blonde now standing in front of him. "I must say I'm pleasantly surprised to see you here at the muggle side of the town Ollie." She gave him a long hug, pulling him flush against herself. He stiffened. They, rather the blonde, spoke to him for a few more minutes while Oliver just stood there looking flummoxed, she then kissed him on his cheek and walked away promising to see him at the stadium on the following Monday. Hermione just hung back through the entire exchange, wondering about her future course of action. She saw Oliver watch the other woman as she left and she knew what she had to do.

"Could you be any more obvious? You're almost drooling at her," she teased.

He froze again. He had forgotten about Hermione! He felt like a heel.

"You're allowed to look Wood. We're here because we were forced, you can't be expected to forget your life before the law," she said, taking him by surprise. It showed in his eyes.

She smiled. "I might be young but I'm not stupid! In fact," she added in a conspiratorial tone, "some might even call me the brightest witch of the age."

His laugh was a little strained at that.

She guided them towards Trafalgar Square. "Tell me about her," she smiled encouragingly.

If he wasn't so flustered about his current predicament, he would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation but he was way too flustered to think straight so he came clean with all his feeling for the blonde.

She was Tatyana. An American recruited by the ministry to scout for talent for England's national team that would represent the country at the next world cup in 2 years' time. He had met her then and felt an extremely strong pull. He had taken every chance to meet up with her after that and thankfully, because of their overlapping jobs he'd had many opportunities to do just that. He had thought of her as the one for him. She was beautiful, smart and shared his passion for quidditch. She was probably everything he had wanted in his partner and more, he told Hermione infatuatedly and then bit his tongue hard when he realized whom he was talking to.

She walked quietly beside him, listening keenly. "Do you love her?" she asked softly.

He understood the weight of his next words but he wanted to establish an honest relationship with his wife-to-be. "I thought, with enough time, I would get there…happily."

She just nodded. "I think she likes you too, you know. And you two would make a much better quidditch couple than us." He just shrugged, not knowing how to react to that. It was all very weird for him – talking about his love life with his ministry intended!

"I am sorry it had to be this way Oliver. I promise I'll try my level best to ensure your happiness." _One way or another, I'll find a way,_ she promised to herself and him, silently.

He gave a half smile at that. He knew she would. He hoped he would do the same for her too. "I am sorry, this all got a little too heavy for a first date. Not to mention just bizarre and wrong!"

She looked at him, with quiet, serene eyes, "Not at all. I won't change a thing about our day." Then pulling at his hand she took him towards a humongous giant wheel.

"It's the London Eye. My parents and I used to come here on their anniversary each year. My father, it seems proposed my mother here, so it had a special place in their hearts. Come I'll take you along. You'll enjoy this."

They were up in a big sphere, looking at the twinkling lights beneath. They were both looking out, each lost in their own world. "I'd forgotten how beautiful this all was" she whispered, as if speaking to herself.

He smiled at that and looked at her. She was again in a skinny pair of jeans and a soft cotton t-shirt with a jacket thrown on her shoulders, complete with yet another pair of converses snugly wrapping her feet, looking out through the glass, wonder making her eyes shine brightly. "Sometimes I just wish you two were here, with me…." she trailed off, as if realizing she had said that out aloud. He saw her wiping at an unshed tear through her reflection and turn back to face him. "Thank you for coming here with me tonight. It means a lot to me" she stated. By then they had reached the ground and she shuffled to get out, Oliver moving out right behind her. By the time they were out, she had herself under control again.

"Dinner or home?" she asked.

"Dinner. But this time at Diagon Alley. I will not have you paying again."

She laughed. "I promised you I'd let you do the honors next time, didn't I? Now come on."

And she was again pulling his arm and leading him towards a busy street full of food vendors.

"Choose what you like. You'll get some of the world's best cuisines here."

And just like that, their camaraderie from earlier was back and they got talking smoothly again.

About an hour and a half later, he dropped her back at the Burrow. "I had a nice day Wood, thank you" she whispered and kissed his cheek.

He resisted the urge to run the tips of his fingers over the part she had kissed and promised to be back the next morning for the family get together and apparated out.

Hermione walked back to the homestead, plotting her next course of action….


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 06:**

It was Sunday! Molly was very busy in the kitchen but she, as usual, did not let anyone help her. So all the young adults found themselves sitting in the backyard, wondering what to do. Hermione had been smart enough to carry a book with her so she was bent over on it, Oliver sitting beside her, musing yet again about her addiction to the written word. All the Weasleys saw this and decided to help Ginny along to get the odd couple close.

"Quidditch" Ginny finally screamed, as if wondering why she hadn't thought of it straight away. That word got Oliver's attention on her, his along with every other person present there.

"Let's play quidditch, girls versus boys. We'd all love to kick our boys' asses" she added mischievously.

Hermione looked up, heard her out and went back to her book as if the idea did not appeal to her one bit. "Fleur and I will sit this one out," Percy drawled pompously, "for obvious reasons of course." A lot of teasing, name-calling followed as they all got up to make their way to the broom shed. Suddenly everyone turned to look at Hermione. As if feeling their eyes on her, she replied without even bothering to look up from her book, "Not happening guys."

"We need you Mione, otherwise we'll be one short" Ginny begged.

"Uhm… Ginny… you'd be rather better off with one short instead of with Mione on your team" Harry reasoned, trying to save his best friend from show casing the utter humiliation that her flying skills actually were.

"Shut up Harry, unless you want to be bat boogied" Ginny came back.

"Shutting up dear" Harry ploughed, hands stretched up in surrender.

"You're so whipped Potter," all her brothers cried out. He simply shrugged, refusing to open his mouth.

"You don't want me on a broom Ginny," Hermione warned.

"Oh but I do," Ginny pestered on.

"Come on Mione. Don't be a spoilt sport. Tell you what, we'll get Harry to catch the snitch 5 minutes in the game and we can all leave happily for lunch then," Ron reasoned.

Hermione glared at them all, "Fine," she screeched and put her book down, taking care to mark the page with her book mark before doing so and got up. "Don't come crying to me when you girls loose," she warned her team.

"We've got this in the bag," George mused.

"In your dreams Weasley," Angelina challenged, "we have a strong team too."

George cocked his brow at the challenge, "Wanna bet on that darling?"

"I think we should. The loosing team does the winner's bidding post lunch today," Alicia supplied helpfully, a little too sure in her teams abilities. All except Hermione had played on their own school teams. The boys had Oliver and the girls had Ginny, both professional quidditch players for two of the best teams in the nation. She was sure it would be a good match of skill!

Everyone agreed. "The girls are so going down," the golden trio mumbled, the boys happily and the girl shudderingly.

Oliver kept mum all through the exchange, just watching Hermione's expressions. _She couldn't be that bad at it_ he wondered, reaching into his pocket to resize his broom, one he always carried along for just such emergency situations. Everyone noticed what he was doing and laughed. "They're gonna make a brilliant couple! I just can't wait to see what happens next!" was the general consensus.

Unfortunately, he was wrong about Hermione's prowess on the broom. So…. so wrong! _She is a blaspheming abysmal flying disaster!_ They had made her a keeper for some reason, probably because that was his position, he thought. But her primary purpose was staying on the broom, never mind actually blocking the quaffle. She was just so nervous! First the broom refused to go up to her. Harry helped. Then the broom sensed her nerves and kept flying in random zigzag patterns taking her all over the place. His team mates were actually taking turns to steady her instead of scoring! Maybe that was the ploy, mused Oliver, wondering how a witch as smart as her could be such a sore sight to watch on a broom. Thankfully, Harry caught the snitch in half hour. For probably the first time ever, Oliver was glad that a quidditch match was over that soon. He just could not watch her anymore! Every one zoomed down to congratulate Harry and tease their fiancées. All except Oliver, who flew over as close to Hermione as he could, given her erratic movements.

"Lass that's enough. Let's go down now."

"Do you think I'm not trying to do that?" she snapped.

"Hold your thoughts in."

"What?!"

"Your broom is sensing your erratic thoughts. Hold them in check. Think of simpler peaceful things and I'll come over and pull you up. Okay?"

"What! You'll pull me up where?" and this brought on a whole new episode of extra ziggier and zaggier moves from the broom.

"YOU'RE GONNA END UP KILLING YOURSELF AT THIS RATE!" he bellowed at her.

"DON'T YOU THINK I ALREADY KNOW THAT!" she hollered right back.

"Mione, he's trying to help you. Can you NOT murder him right away?" Ginny shouted from the grounds below.

Hermione flushed and tightened her hold on the wayward broom.

 _If she holds it any tighter its gonna snap_ Oliver realised.

"Hermione. Shut your eyes and take a deep breath. **NOW**!" he snapped. What happened next had everyone's eyes either popping out because of the sheer audacity of his plan or sealed shut, because of the very stupidity of it!

Oliver took a deep breath, brought his long legs on his broom and stood up on it, jumping towards Hermione, holding her in his arms and then plummeting towards the ground at full speed.

Her broom broke into four different pieces just as he pulled her off it. Before she could register what was happening, Oliver was shielding her from the flying pieces of her broom with his body pointing his wand at his broom, accio-ing it to him. It came just when they were about 20 feet off the ground. He straddled it immediately, pulling her along and pulled it high up to ensure they didn't crash land. It was all too much for Hermione to take so she buried her face in his chest, fisting his shirt as she did so. His one arm went around her instinctively, rubbing her back in calming motions, "It's okay sweetheart, I've got you now. Don't worry. You're fine. I'll keep you safe. I promise." He turned his broom around smoothly and slowed it down to land. The minute their feet touched the ground, they were surrounded by her surrogate family, everyone's face twisted in worry.

It went on for 10 minutes before Mrs. Weasley called them in for lunch.

!

Lunch was a boisterous affair with a lot of teasing and planning on what the boys should get the girls to do. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley senior excused themselves on the pretext of an afternoon nap and let the young couples mingle.

"How do you want to do this guys?" George asked, throwing a very naughty look in Angelina's direction. She flushed scarlet. Bill saw the exchange. George was happy after a very long time and he wanted to him enjoy that moment.

"How about we each work out a way to deal with our own spouses and intendeds for now and then before dinner we can think of something for them to do together" Bill suggested. Every man happily nodded. Oliver already knew what he'd do with Hermione.

George pulled Angelina out of the homestead before most could even get up. All the girls gave her a naughty grin and wink while she tried to keep up with George's pace.

Ginny came and pulled Harry away, "Time for my punishment" she muttered and pulled him to her old bedroom at the Burrow to a chorus of "eeeww" from her brothers.

"Wanna rest for a bit darling?" Bill asked Fleur and on her nod led her to his old bedroom at the Burrow.

Before Percy could open his mouth Audrey warned him in no uncertain terms, "You didn't play, you don't get a go" and sauntered out to the orchards. "As good a place as any" Percy murmured and followed her out.

"I know just what to do with you" Ron told Alicia, "You're playing wizarding chess with me, till they all come back" Ron smirked while Alicia made gagging noises but sat at the small table nonetheless while Ron set the chess board up.

"You lass are coming out with me" Oliver said and pulled her to the backyard again.

Once there, Hermione finally found her voice and turned to thank him for saving her life. He simply shrugged it off as if jumping off his broom while 80 feet up in the air didn't mean too much to him.

"Why so scared of flying lass? I thought you've flown on dragons before this."

"I was never good at the introduction to broom class back in our first year, so it kind of just scares me since. Plus, I flew a hippogriff to his freedom and rode a dragon for mine. All these episodes just freaked me out completely. I can't fly since, not that I was ever able to before that. Everyone has tried to help, but I just can't get my mind to relax."

"You realise the longer you let the fear sit, the stronger your fear will be?"

"Trust me, it's pretty strong now."

"I can teach you to fly safely" he offered kindly.

Her eyes bulged out with her fear. "NO! No, I am good. Thank you though."

"I'll take care and not let you fall," he said a little more forcefully.

"I'll hex you if you say that again," Hermione snapped, fear etched all over her face.

He just grabbed her wand hand's wrist and pulled her towards him, tugging her hand behind his back to arrest her movements. "Trust me on this Hermione. I'll teach you how to fly. Even if it's the last thing I do" and he brought his broom out, holding her close to him as he manoeuvred her on it with him and off they flew together.

Hermione yelped as they zoomed off high up in the sky, Oliver only wanting to make sure her screams didn't attract undue attention. "That's enough lass" he said sardonically, troubled by her screams.

Then she went on a rant, "you…..you….you don't understand I can't…I'll fall…..it's a broom for crying out loud…I've tried…never done… please please please ground now…anything else….not this…please….."

"Hermione, relax" Oliver was feeling her fear through his broom that was sending little shivers under his firm hands. "If you don't, this time we'll both fall" he said, trying very hard to control his broom.

"How do you think that'll help me relax?" she screeched in a very high pitch, very non-Hermione-like voice.

"Can you just relax woman? You're missing something very beautiful here. Look….."

Hermione who was trying very hard to turn around and burry her head into Oliver's chest continued her rambling, "I don't care… I don't care… Wood please ground…. I swear I will do anything else, not this…I promise I will never bore you with excessive information about anything or ask you to be a member of S.P.E.W., I'll never leave my books lying all around at your house, I won't sleep in the library, just not this….please I beg of you…..please….ground….."

Oliver who had no idea whatsoever about S.P.E.W. found her rambling cute but it was stretching the limits of his prowess on the broom. He usually just carried one of his spare brooms with him, keeping two of his best ones safe for practises and matches. "Lass, as cute as your rambling is, I really need you to quieten up. Now." And she still continued on… as if she hadn't heard him… and on seeing her death grip on the broom, Oliver was sure she really was not listening to anything he was saying. "Ahhh…" he screamed in frustration at her obduration and fisted one hand in her hair and brought her lips on his, the best way he could figure to shut her up. She froze and he continued to press his lips to hers. They tasted of strawberries and pumpkin juice, he mused. He had started the kiss only to shut her up, but once he started it, he couldn't get himself to stop, instead nibbled lightly on her lower lip.

Hermione remained in a frozen stupor for a bit before she finally tentatively kissed him back. He groaned and brought her up closer to him, freezing his broom's movement. They just waited there, hovering up in the sky, kissing. Minutes passed or hours, neither knew. When they finally came up for air, Oliver spoke to her softly, his voice gruff, his hand at her nape as he looked at her pink kiss-swollen wet lips. Licking his own lips, he brought his eyes up to hers to find her eyeing his mouth. He smiled, "Trust me Hermione, we've got this. All I'm asking from you today is peace. Just try to stay calm, that's it. Nothing more. Can you do that? Just for 5 minutes, then I'll take you down."

She nodded, stayed quiet but looked blanched.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you lass."

"And you."

He arched his brows but nodded, "And me. Now look ahead, you're missing a beautiful scene."

 _No, I'm not,_ Hermione thought looking at the handsome scot a little shyly before turning around. The view from up here was beautiful, but she wondered if it was worth the price she was made to pay, thinking of her meeting with the Minister of Magic scheduled for tomorrow morning. _I'll make it right for you Oliver, one way or another, I promise._

On that thought Oliver turned the broom around and got it down near the homestead. By the time they reached the ground Hermione all but jumped out of the broom. All the others were sitting in the backyard, enjoying the evening, chatting. Harry and Ron took one look at her ashen face and were by her side before Oliver could even dismount his broom. They were both hugging her and rubbing her back and comforting her, while Ginny ran in to get her some water. No one else seemed bothered by that except him and Alicia, the two new additions to the brood.

The golden trio sat at the stairs, with Harry on her right, resting Hermione's head on his shoulder and Ron on her left, rubbing her back. "You did well, Mione. We are proud of you." Ginny came out with bottle of water that Hermione thirstily drank. "I'll live," she whispered a tad hoarsely and smiled. Then, as if searching for Oliver, she looked at him and smiled, "Thank you. You're the first one who got me to shut up on a broom," she said.

That got everyone's attention on them. "Wonder how he did that?" George asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah, she actually bit me when I tried to take her flying," Bill agreed.

"She hexed us both," George added with a faraway look in his eyes, everyone knowing who the second one of that pair was. "Very creatively too. We'd get boils on our butts every time we so much as thought of her and brooms in the same breath." Angelina just squeezed his hand at that, he squeezed it right back.

"She pushed me off the broom even before she climbed up on it," Ron informed, "I still have the scar from the fall," he said gingerly rubbing at his elbow.

"I don't even remember what she's done to me the past eight years every time I tried to get her on a broom," Harry conceded. "Trust me, after what I went through on the hippogriff and the dragon, I really didn't care to remember the other times at all. She scratched my back and chest when we flew Buckbeak and I was sure I'd need hearing aids after she screamed all the way from London to the Highlands when flying the dragon!"

"We hexed each other and then kissed and made up," Ginny winked.

Everyone laughed, tension broken. Oliver kept thinking about the dynamics between the trio and he saw the same doubts in Alicia's eyes at dinner. Ginny however had been with the three the longest and didn't really seem to notice anything amiss. Oliver just took solace from that and went back to eating. The food really was delicious!

The boys tortured the girls a little more, with the girls promising a retribution next Sunday. And the evening finally came to a close. Before they left, Molly invited Oliver, Angelina, Alicia and Audrey to all the Sunday meals. All of them happily agreed, having enjoyed themselves. The boys went to drop the girls home while Hermione got up to walk with Oliver.

"Floo or apparition?" she asked.

He preferred the floo but he wanted to chat a little with her so he chose to apparate instead. She walked with him till the apparition point outside the wards. Both silent, not knowing what to say. Just before they reached the final ward, Hermione asked him to the ministry ball, he smirked and agreed, saying he'd thought she'd never ask and then winked at her. Hermione blushed. As if of its own accord, his hand moved up to her cheek, rubbing at the colour running high on them, smiling at the effect he was having on her. "Owl me the date, time, venue and dress code. And we'll arrange for everything else from there," he said and bent down to peck her on her lips. "Let me know if you're free over the week and we'll arrange to meet again, okay?" She nodded.

"Oh and by the way Hermione, we'll continue with the flying lessons every Sunday I'm here." Her eyes widened at that and he smiled his crinkled smile and apparated away with a crack.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 07:**

Hermione had Kingsley under her thumb the next morning and he finally relented. Her plan was simple! Since infertility was the only way she could beg for separation, she would do just that. And to ensure that she would not get pregnant, because Kingsley told her that she would have to consummate the marriage to ensure they were not caught by the strong wards placed on them on the wedding day, he would give her special potions. He agreed to that because she refused to help the aurors any further after her wedding begging the chances of pregnancy and expressing her wish to keep the unborn child safe. He grit his teeth in and relented.

"You realise your intended may not like this?"

"It's best for him. He'll understand. He'll love this girl soon enough, she's perfect for him."

"And may I be so bold as to ask what about you Hermione?"

"Well, I'll be documented as almost infertile, so the law won't apply to me after the separation. If and when I meet someone, I'll take it from there," she smiled at her older friend then. "Thank you Kingsley, it means a lot to me" she hugged him and kissed his cheek before leaving. She was asked to leave for another mission immediately, so she just sent two letters – one to Oliver and one to Ginny and was gone. It was a short mission this time, Kingsley needed her here for the ball, after the debacle her absence had caused at the press conference he was not taking any more risks!

!

Hermione came back late on Thursday night and slept through Friday. Ginny woke her up at four for food and then the two dressed up for the ball.

The two girls walked down the stairs and Harry and Oliver immediately turned their heads towards them, their breathes caught in their throats. All the others had left already, with their dates or to fetch them at their homes. They were all to meet directly at the ministry in the ball room.

Ginny almost ran down the stairs, eyes looking only at Harry and went straight into his waiting arms for his lips. They kissed really quick, he looked deeply into her eyes and told her how beautiful she looked, held her hand and moved his gaze towards Hermione. "You too look breath taking Mione. Everyone at the ball are gonna eat their hearts out looking at you two." Hermione just gave him a small smile thanking him for the compliment. "I'll see you two in a bit at the ball." Nodding his head in Oliver's general direction, he left with Ginny for the apparition point, hand-in-hand.

As soon as the couple was out of sight, Hermione shifted her gaze towards Oliver. _Boy, he cleans up well_ she thought and then smirked internally thinking what a vast understatement that was! In a formal wizarding robe, all in black, Oliver Wood was nothing short of drop dead gorgeous! She was sure she was going to have to come up with subtle ways to remind herself to breath every so often all through the evening if she was to survive it without passing out on the floor!

Smiling shyly, she looked up at him, about to speak, when her breath caught in her throat. He was regarding her in such a way. She didn't know how to describe it. His eyes were dark, darker than she had ever seen, and they seemed to reflect emotions she didn't know she could put names on. _Oliver_ she gasped. That seemed to shake him off. The moment he stirred, the spell was broken and Hermione came crashing back to her senses. "Uhm…Shall we leave then? If you're ready that is" she stammered.

"In a moment" he replied. "I actually have something for you." Saying that he handed out a beautifully packed box to her.

"Oh! I can't take that. You didn't have to." Hermione exclaimed, eyeing the box wearily.

"I've bought it especially for you and I am not taking it back. Would you like to send back the first thing I've bought for you? Is that the story you want me tell all our kids and grandkids?"

"Kids….and grandkids…" Hermione's brows almost disappeared into her hairline.

"Yes! And trust you me, if you make me take it back, I will make sure to put it down in all the Wood family stories books for posterity to know!"

She laughed at that. The sound warmly washing all over him yet again. "Wood family stories books…..?" She cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Alright, I agree there no such thing like that _yet_. But if you do not accept my first ever gift to you, rest assured there will soon be a series of those, recording all your atrocities against me, for all of the future Woods to know," he threatened her lightly.

She knew she was going to have to accept it one way another now.

"Really, is it that difficult to accept a gift from your betrothed?"

"Uhm.. when you put it like that… No, I guess not."

"Good. That settles it then. You'll accept it graciously. Start calling me Oliver from now on. Thank me for the lovely present. Give me a big kiss for a good measure. And then we can leave for the ball."

For the second time that evening, her breath was caught in her throat. And she had been with him for less than 10 minutes! She could already see herself as a puddle at his feet at the ball. She looked up at him then and saw the mirth dancing at his lips and the laughter in his eyes. _The cheek. Well, two could play this game_ she thought. "How about I give you two out of three," she offered all too innocently.

"Alright then, skip the thank you, call me Oliver and give me a big kiss" he deadpanned without stopping to think.

She turned scarlet at that. _He knew_ it wasn't the thanking that had her reacting this way.

"Ok. So open up. The gift I mean. Have a look."

She looked at the gift box in her hand as if just realizing it was still there. She opened it with shaky fingers and saw a hand-woven black pashmina in it. It was beautiful, soft to touch and had small silver highlights all over it "It's beautiful," she breathed.

"I'm glad you liked it. It took me forever to find something for you. But the moment I saw this one I knew it was the one for you. It felt as soft as your skin when I touched it," his cheeks reddened over a little at this, though he quickly recovered. Still smiling naughtily at her again, "So time for my return gift I guess."

Hermione was sure her blush was going to be a permanent fixture on her!

"How 'bout I guide you through the process?" he offered, "Just say Oliver, walk over to me, kiss me and then we leave hand-in-hand and suffer through this damned ball together." Still looking at her intently, keeping his face studiously blank he tried again. "Come on _Hermione_. I swear it is not as difficult as you think. Or would you rather have our first kiss of the evening, in front of all those people and the paparazzi?"

It was not the mention of people and paparazzi but her name that did it for her. Her name. On his lips. She knew she was a goner. Slowly, taking one step at a time, keeping one foot in front of the other she walked towards him. She carefully looked up in to his eyes and saw them going dark. Dark and darker still. She softly gasped out " _Oliver."_ She went on her toes, tilting her head back and placing a small hand on his chest and an arm around his neck, pulling him closer to her 5 foot 2 length, "Thank you for my lovely gift, Oliver," she whispered and then pecked him on his lips. She intended to keep the kiss chaste and simple but the minute she touched her lips to his, all her thoughts of chastity flew out the window. Heat spread through her and she found herself kissing him, nibbling his hard lips and sucking on them for her dear life. All her pent up feelings were expressed through that one kiss.

A wave washed over Oliver when Hermione ran her tongue on his lower lip silently asking him to open up. He almost stumbled back but held himself in check at the last minute when her tongue dueled his in his mouth. To say he was surprised was the biggest understatement of the year. His hands instinctively moved around her waist, spanning it as he held her flush against himself. He was fighting an inner battle to stop himself from pulling her closer to him and returning the kiss with fervor, making her beg to skip the ball and asking him to have his wicked way with her right then, right there. But he held on. He took whatever she gave but did not press for more. He did not want to scare her away by rushing into this too soon. He kissed her back but let her control the kiss. Finally, when he was sure he would break and take her with him, she slowly broke the kiss. They stayed like that together, holding on to each other for support, joined at the forehead just happy at that moment, craving for much more but content in what they had found, for the next few minutes.

"If that's the sort of thanks I am gonna get, I swear I am gonna get you many more gifts," he spoke after a long pause, still holding her close to him.

"Don't you dare," she shot back. They broke from their embrace and moved away from each other. She took a deep breath to shake herself out of her current predicament, draped her new pashmina on her shoulders and started walking towards the apparition point with him, hand-in-hand.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 08:**

The press conference the golden trio and their ministry matches had to attend before the ball was crazy at its best. To say the reporters were shocked to see Hermione Granger paired with Oliver Wood was putting a colossal earth shattering inter-galactic combustion as a small kitchen accident. There was a riot when Oliver escorted Hermione to the podium, questions thrown at them from each and every one. "Oh I'm never gonna survive this," Hermione muttered under her breath. Oliver reached out and held her hand. "We'll get through this lass, together," he smiled and he worked his magic on them all.

Hermione had always been blunt to the point of rudeness making her the least favorite of the paparazzi in the trio. The trio were the people's heroes but they were still too young, still too plain for the wolves to eat up. Harry only had one long term girlfriend and he was matched with her, Ron had already made his single status and his love for the law implicitly known, so there was no great news there.

That left Hermione, who was placed with Oliver! And Oliver was their pet. He knew exactly how to play them and play them he did; he ruled over them all and at the end of the conference Ron actually joked about Hermione beating Harry to make front page news this time. Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry laughed, wishing her all the good luck in the world along with all of his spot light. Hermione could already feel her head pounding when they stepped into the ball room. The three couples completed their circuit of greetings first and finally sat down at the last table they could get, away from all the public glare. Alicia finally was getting a taste of what being Mrs. Ron Weasley would entail and couldn't decide how she felt about the whole ordeal.

"We'll soon need to start speaking about the wedding," Oliver said aloud to everyone but looked straight at Hermione. "And my parents want to meet you. Plus, I'd like to meet your family too."

"We are all here Oliver, and you've met us all. In fact you played with us all last Sunday, remember? Well, all except Charlie but you know him well enough anyway," Ron replied bitingly.

Oliver just creased his brows at that and fixed Hermione with a pointed look. She looked flushed, on the verge of tears but she batted her eyes and cleared them. "I," she started and halted to take a long breath and Ron placed his hand on hers, squeezing it, the gesture not going unnoticed by anyone at the table. "I had to obliviate them before the war so the death eaters wouldn't find them. In my zeal to protect them, I cast a powerful obliviating spell and wiped myself from their memory. The spell was too strong to be broken…by anyone… _even me_ " she whispered the last bit but he heard it nonetheless. "If I try too much, I might do permanent spell damage ending them up at Mungo's. They are now in Australia, happily living their new lives. I …. I also have a baby sister now…" she smiled a little at that. "If she turns out to be like me, I'll get in touch with her and explain everything but right now, I can't do anything" she shrugged, pain, guilt, remorse all changing her eyes to a thick murky brown. Oliver realized he never wanted to see that shade of brown in her eyes, ever again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…." He trailed off when she cut in. "I would've told you anyways. You had to know why my parents weren't attending the wedding so…"

"Still… I did not mean to upset you" he whispered, inserting his forefinger tenderly in her hand and rubbing the back of her fingers with his thumb.

"Yeah…. But now you did. How do you reckon to correct that mistake mister?" Ron asked, a bit haughtily. "Here we go" sighed Harry. "That's his big brother talk for you by the way" Harry pointed out helpfully to Oliver. "He's already had one with me. And I'll spare you from mine for now."

Oliver raised his brows at that but sat through it all. Twenty minutes down, Ginny had threatened to bat boogey hex Ron and Hermione had almost sent a canary hex his way. Finally Alicia pulled him away from them and led him towards the dance floor. "Oh she's gonna regret that in the next 5 minutes," Ginny cringed. And they all sat back to enjoy the show.

Once Ron had made a thorough fool of himself on the dance floor, Ginny pulled Harry along for dancing and then dinner. Oliver and Hermione just sat back for a little longer.

"You okay lass?"

She nodded, "Yes, thank you."

"Dance?" he held out his arm and she accepted it, both walking towards the dance floor.

!

The evening after that was pleasant. They danced and Oliver marveled at the way she fit flush against him, as if she was molded for just that and then chided himself for his sappy thoughts, laughing inside. They talked and enjoyed each other's company. They had dinner with a few others, mingling well. He dropped her to the Burrow late at night and kissed her a little longer this time.

He held on to her hand before she could walk away. "I want to get you a ring lass. Come with me tomorrow, we'll buy whichever one you like and from there we'll leave for the dinner at the Wood Manor with my parents."

Hermione cringed a little at that. "Oliver I don't need a ring, please."

"What? Of course you do! Every engaged woman needs a ring!" he snapped.

"Oliver, we are forced into this by the ministry. You aren't marrying me by choice. What will the ring say?"

"Every ring is a promise to hold and cherish the woman forever. My ring will say the same. Be ready by 4 and we'll go get the ring first and then go to Wood Manor for dinner."

Before she could retaliate he shook his head, "I won't hear of it. I'll pick you up at 4 tomorrow," he promised and left with a crack.

 _Oh joy!_ thought Hermione, _we'll be going shopping for rings and then I'll be meeting his parents tomorrow._ She knew he was a single child so it would only be the four of them. _Perfect!_ _Shopping followed by an intimate family dinner!_ she scowled darkly while changing into her nightwear and then crashed on the bed, too tired to do anything else.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 09:**

True to his promise, Oliver came at 4 to pick her up and felt his breath knock out of him. She was dressed in a plain white summer dress with a thin yellow cardigan thrown over it, her hair pulled back in a casual style, white kitten heels on her feet. _She's beautiful_ he thought and looked into her eyes, they were a greenish mahogany today. _So that's for nerves_ he smiled. "Ready to leave yet?" he asked when she reached the bottom step. She nodded meekly.

"We won't bite you, Hermione. Well, I might, but not in front of my parents, I promise," at that, she looked just about ready to throw up and he cursed his untimely attempt at terrible humour. Her eyes were almost green now. _That's a beautiful colour to show her readiness to be sick_ he thought mirthlessly.

They both made their way to the apparition point, bracing themselves for the ordeal ahead.

!

They apparated straight to the jeweller in Diagon Alley where Oliver wanted to get the rings from. Hermione kept picking the smallest ones and Oliver chose the biggest ones out of pure spite.

"This won't work lass. We'll be here all night we if continue like this. Just please pick what you like already."

And she shut off on him. He fumed in his anger and threw at her, "Fine, in that case, you'll suffer my choice for the rest our lives, wearing it every single day on your hand!" and he stomped off looking all around the shop's display and speaking to one too many helpful salesgirls.

 _He doesn't even realize they're wishing he'd be buying them the ring!_ Hermione mused.

He went through almost all the different types of rings, stones, cuts and clarities and finally found the one for her. He just knew she'd love it when she'd see it. It was colourful and uniquely stylish, an understated beauty yet with a panache of its own. _Just like her_ he thought and smiled. He picked it up and walked back to her with it. "It's this one lass. What do you think?" he asked a little excitement colouring his voice.

She looked up from where she was sitting reading her book that she had carried with her and her eyes widened. And he knew she liked it. _It's simple and elegant, just something I would've picked up myself,_ she thought. It had three one carat stones – an emerald, a ruby and a sapphire and had six small diamonds, three on each end, all inset in a gold band.

"How much does it cost?"

"Not as much as I would've liked to it to cost. So just tell me now if you like this one or not?"

Her eyes turned all soft and she smiled at him, "I'm gonna talk you into accompanying me on all my shopping trips. You have an impeccable taste!" she said and pecked him on lips, "I love it. It's perfect."

They had it resized and packed immediately, when Hermione turned to Oliver, "Since we are here, can we get the wedding bands too? That shouldn't take too long."

He nodded. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"A plain gold band. To go with the other ring," she immediately replied, before he would try to push for something more.

He nodded. "Same for me. To go with yours." She smiled a little at that but said nothing.

They bought the bands too and Hermione fought it out with Oliver to pay for his. "Since you insist on me having _your ring on my finger,_ I want the same."

He'd finally relented, knowing they'd never make it to dinner on time if he didn't, clucking at her obduracy in his mind.

They packed all three rings up and just when he was passing her the engagement ring, she shook her head.

"Oliver you wanted to buy me a ring, we did that. Please just give it to me when it means something," she requested.

"I'm gonna have my ring on your finger one way or another before this weekend passes," he promised and huffily picked the three packed boxes and he apparated them both with her on his arms.

!

The evening went on well. Once his mother had pulled her out of her shell, Hermione was a hit with both his parents, winning them over with her simplicity and honesty. She had happily let his mother have the entire control over their wedding preparations without so much as batting an eyelid in the process, winning the older witch's gratitude and instant affection. But Oliver had found it odd, too odd, to see a bride not too interested in her own wedding. He did not like the thoughts that were accompanying on the heels of that particular one. His father, on the other hand, was besotted with her quick wit and humour and asked her to call him 'da' immediately when even Oliver only ever called him 'father' or 'sir', nothing else.

The bigger shock had come when they were deciding their wedding date. His mother was insisting that they make it Thursday, knowing that the ministry rules would entitle Oliver for a leave on Friday giving them a long weekend to themselves after the wedding. And she was already having his hide for cheating his young bride out of a honeymoon immediately after the wedding. But surprisingly enough Hermione had come for his rescue on both those accounts.

"I don't think a day's delay would matter much to any of us but I'm sure it would mean the world to Oliver. He's just promoted to the post of Captain and it's gonna be a stressful come back after the war. I think it would make sense to make it Friday evening, maybe a couple of hours after his practice time? So that way he wouldn't feel like he's letting his team down for his personal reasons," Hermione elaborated and looked at Oliver for support who sat there stumped!

His parents were quiet for a few seconds too, then smiled and agreed. And that was their wedding day, three weeks from now, on Friday night at 8.

When asked about their honeymoon, she took the blame on herself saying she was giving her NEWTs in November and wouldn't consider going anywhere before those. Oliver openly stared at her and she just shrugged and when his parents got busy talking with each other she narrowed her eyes at him, mouthing "you owe me two Wood." That had him bursting with laughter, with Hermione sitting beside him biting her inner cheek and giving him looks of mock confusion that wondered if he'd lost it, making him laugh harder.

After dinner, while his mother was running things related with their wedding with her, he found himself sitting with his father at the bar and got the biggest shock of the evening when he received a 'you better take care of her or else' talk from his own father. His father specifically instructed him to reign in that 'ruddy temper' of his where she was concerned, insisting that Hermione was special and he would not like anyone harming her in anyway. Oliver found the entire situation too baffling to respond with anything other than a 'Yes sir, I'll take good care of her. I promise.'

!

As soon as they left the Wood Manor for the apparition point outside, Oliver turned to her, "So, I think that went well." Her smile lit the starless night and Oliver's breath caught in his throat. "They're amazing. Just like mine. If they ever get a chance to meet, they'll… they'll get along famously Oliver," she gushed, tears outlining her eyes. _She still misses them so much_ he thought, bringing her close to him, for a warm hug, wiping her tears away. "I'm sure they will lass," he whispered and gave a comforting kiss on her lips. She smiled weakly and nodded.

"Now," he said after a few minutes of silence, "tell me why you aren't too keen on planning your own wedding?"

She just shrugged. "I've never been that sort of girl who planned my wedding since my childhood. My parents are more of academics, so I was brought up that way. And your mum seemed to have dreamed of your wedding since you were 10! So I figured it would make sense to let her have her dream. Are you unhappy about it?" She winced, "You are, aren't you? I should have checked with you before accepting her offer. I'm sorry…"

He furrowed his brows at her. "What did I tell you apologizing? And no, I'm not unhappy. I was just curious. The usual stories I've heard are of brides going mad stressing about the tiniest of things and never of someone who'd freely handed over the reins of the most important day of their life over to someone else, someone they had just met no less."

"Yeah…. I'm not really your every other girl. Weren't you informed? I'm Hermione Granger. Apparently, I take exceptional joy in doing the most unconventional and controversial of all things," she winked, eyes a luring caramel.

He threw his head back and laughed. "You'll do Granger. I look forward to sharing my life with you," he said without stopping to filter his thoughts and that rooted her to the spot, she then visibly shook herself out of her stupor. He saw her reaction but didn't say anything. He may not have filtered his thoughts before speaking but he stood by his words. He was looking forward to having her in his life. For whatever reasons, if she was his match, he was going to make it work with her. Simple!

"Ditto," she whispered softly and continued their walk. He heard, lips crinkling but he let it pass, not commenting on it.

"I've been curious about something Wood. Explain. Why is it that you always floo when you're alone but apparate when with me? I like the floo just fine you know…"

He smiled. _She'd noticed that._ He didn't know if he'd even expected her not to. She was the brightest witch of their age after all. He stopped and turned to face her. "Because this is the only time I get to do this," Oliver said and brought her face up for a searing kiss. "I see you way too less for my liking anyway, so I like to have these few quiet minutes for us," he said after the kiss and held her hand in his. "But now, we aren't apparating." There was no sound for all of five seconds before she popped her eyes open to their full extent, shaking her head, "No. No. No. No. No."

Oliver just resized his broom, picked her up and sat her with both her legs perched on the same side of it before joining her there from behind, securing her between his hands and legs. "You said yourself. You're Hermione Granger. There shouldn't be a thing you don't know. And you're gonna be a Wood soon. You need to know how to fly decently. I won't let your fear inhibit you. Ever." He said with all sincerity and got the broom to fly.

"Why are you even doing this Oliver? It's all a wasted effort, I'm not meant to learn flying, I've made my peace with it, you should too."

"No way. No wife of mine will be that big a disaster on the broom," he cringed as the flashes of her prowess on the broom flashed in front of his eyes.

"Just let this one go, Oliver, I'll never trouble you about anything ever, just take me back to the ground, please," she begged, burying her face in his chest again.

Having her rant again and bury herself deep in his chest had him craving for her and he just couldn't control himself any more. He pushed at her chin with his forefinger and brought her face up to look at him. She had sealed her eyes shut out of fear. He smiled to himself, then bent in to kiss her again. When he finally let her lips go, he saw her dazed face and promptly used it in his favour, whispering, "We've got this lass, let me help you, we can do it. I promise." She didn't reply. Instead sat frozen in front of him, eyes scrunched shut and face hidden in his chest, crumpling the collar of his shirt with both her hands. _At least she was not thinking too many erratic thoughts tonight_ he mused, wrapping his free arm around her, running it up and down on her side and kissing the top of the head, navigating them to the Burrow. Much like the last time, she darted out the minute her feet touched the ground, without so much as a backward glance. Oliver waited until she entered the homestead before miniaturizing his broom and apparating back to his place with a crack.

 _Oh, I am so gonna teach her to fly_ Oliver promised to himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10:**

Oliver came back to the Burrow the following day for the Sunday fiesta. So did everyone else. And that's how Hermione found herself walking yet again towards the Weasley's broom shed.

"Did you all honestly not get enough of this the last time? Why can't I just referee it? I'll be a part of the game and yet on the ground," offered Hermione.

"How do you expect to watch over a game that's played in the air while on the ground?" teased Angelina, "Come Hermione, we'll make a Mrs. Quidditch Star of you yet," and she pulled her in the shed.

This time Oliver did not let Harry help her with the broom. "Do what you do best lass and order it to come up to you" he instructed, fixing her with a pointed glare. She bristled at his insinuation and glared at the broom doing just that and broom knocked her on the face.

"Aaahhh…" she screamed in pain rubbing her forehead and the tip of the nose. Everyone winced. "These things happen to Neville not to me, you idiotic broom. Come here now – up," she tried again glaring holes into the broom and Oliver had to jump up beside her holding his hand in front of her face before it hit her again.

"Here," he said, handing her the broom, keeping his face extremely blank as he did so.

She glared at the broom again and then some at him before snatching it out of his hand and stomping out the shed. Oliver actually felt the waves of hatred radiating from her towards the broom and towards him and he shook with laughter, eyes shining with mirth.

Her flying was as terrible as the last time, the broom was probably returning her hatred with vengeance. She zigzagged all over yet again. When Harry caught the snitch, she pushed her broom downwards to get off it quickly but a shouting match ensued between Harry and Ginny and all the girls flew down to support her. The commotion confused Hermione and she in turn confused the already angry broom. Oliver saw her mistake and winced before zooming towards her yet again.

"Control your thoughts," he screamed, again.

"Sod off Wood," she shouted back.

Their own shouting match threw her angle off and her broom jerked and almost threw her out. Somehow seeing their debacle despite the one he was surrounded in, Harry shot the levitation spell at her and Oliver reached her just in time to pull her on. The only saving grace this time around was that she did not break the broom.

Holding her close to him yet again, Oliver flew away once more. "How can you be so bad at this?" he asked thoroughly agitated.

"I just am!" she threw back at him. "Why? Can't Hermione Granger be bad at anything? Do I need to know everything there is to know?" she screamed. And that's when it hit him, _she was bad because she believed she was bad._ He had his work cut out for him while taking her out for her flying lessons Oliver realized.

"Why aren't you taking us back to the homestead? Please Oliver, don't do this. Take me back. I've already hurt myself enough today," she said pointing at her still pink forehead and nose.

"That you did," Oliver's amusement at that returned, turning his eyes a mesmerizing shade of liquid gold. "Come here, I'll kiss it better for you," he said, pulling her close and peppering her forehead and nose with small kisses before making his way down to her lips. This time she responded almost immediately, hooking her arms around his neck and it took all of Oliver's control to not push her for more. _Soon_ he promised, breaking their kiss and making his way to the Burrow again.

!

That noon, after lunch, Oliver was ready to kiss George when he suggested that as a punishment the girls should wear whatever their spouses or intendeds gave them from their wardrobe. Oliver felt as if Merlin himself had granted him the opportunity. They all quickly flooed back to their own homes and were tumbling out at the Burrow in no time.

Angelina shrieked when she saw the hideous shirt George brought back for her. "You know I hate it even on you! Why would I wear it?"

"Cause when you do, you'll finally realize how comfy it is and quit talking me into tossing it."

Angelina fumed and pulled the shirt out of his hands promising to quit talking him into it next time onwards and just start tossing things upfront.

"Yeah…. That so went as you'd planned George!" Bill laughed and so did everyone else.

Audrey refused Percy's shirt saying yet again that since he never played he didn't have any right to punish either.

Fleur laughed when Bill joked that all his clothes would be too tight on his wife for the time being. And then she muttered something in French that turned Hermione red, Oliver noticed laughing.

Harry gave Ginny a very weird shirt that he swore was in his wardrobe because Ginny put it there and Ginny turned red in her face as she walked out to change, to the music of Harry laughing behind her saying, "You know what they say about payback."

Oliver handed over his quidditch jersey to Hermione inside which he had placed the box with the engagement ring. He knew she'd find it and have to wear it now.

Ron gave Alicia his auror training uniform.

"But but.. this is your quidditch jersey!" Hermione stammered when he passed it on to her.

"Really? Thanks for pointing it out lass." And Oliver heard the same stammering behind him.

"But… but.. these are your auror robes!" Alicia was saying to Ron.

Ron just furrowed his brows. "What's with these two and their stating of the obvious? Come on, go now, change."

They both meekly nodded and Hermione lead Alicia to the room the girls were changing in. While all the girls were in there, everyone heard a distinct "You scamp….I'm gonna hex you for this," and that was followed by a lot of laughter and boisterous teasing and Oliver was trying real hard to keep a straight face.

She flew down the stairs before all the other girls, wearing his jersey and his ring on her finger. "OLIVER WOOD! By the time I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you never tricked me like this" and she whipped her wand out, pointing it at him.

For his part, Oliver tried really hard to not burst out laughing, and seeing her fumbling for her wand, he said, "I'm gonna take that as my cue and run," and he sprint to the backyard with her at his heels chasing him till the orchards. He hid behind a tree and when she was in just the right place, he trapped her between himself and the tree. Holding her wand hand, he flicked it out of her hands.

Her eyes were lit with her temper and he was sure he had never seen anyone cuter. Then, probably because he had a death wish, he would muse later, he said, "I always thought you'd look great in my jersey. And I promised you I'd find a way to get the ring on your finger before the weekend passes," and he bent his head down to kiss her.

"I'll bite you if come any closer," she warned, fire in her eyes.

He laughed. "I think I'll take my chances lass," and he got her in a kiss that absolutely placated her anger away.

After she was standing there all spent and puffing, she bit back scathingly, "What makes you think I'll keep it there?"

"I'll use a sticking charm if I have to," he shrugged, "But I know now that you have it on, you won't remove it," he winked at her and bent down on one knee. "I won't insult you by asking you to marry me, we both know you have no choice but to do just that. But I promise you Hermione I'll always be there for you. I promise I'll love and cherish you. And I promise I will always keep all my promises to you." He kissed the ring.

Try as she might, Hermione could not keep the colour from rushing up after that and promptly looked the other way to avoid his burning gaze. He smiled and stood up, wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and pulled her close to him, "I think this is the part where we kiss," he clued her in and kissed her again. When they broke up, they made their way back to the homestead, holding hands as they did so.

Oliver was welcomed with a lot of slaps on his back from all the boys for his _ingenuity._

!

Much later, when the party was almost breaking up after dinner, when Hermione tried to return his jersey to him, he asked her keep it. "It looks way too sexy on you anyway. Wear it again for me someday, then I'll take it back," he said, with a burning look in his eyes, that left Hermione in no doubt about what would follow after she'd worn it the next time.

!

That evening as Hermione walked Oliver till the apparition point, she was plucking at her courage to say what she had to. Oliver was staring at her with a scrunch in his nose, knowing she wanted to probably speak of something discomforting, therefore the lull before the storm.

"Okay, I can't figure out a delicate way to put this so I'm just gonna come out and say it alright?" He nodded, he preferred the blunt honesty anyway. "So I spoke to Kingsley earlier this week, just before he sent me packing again actually and I refused to help out with the auror work after our wedding. He relented and has offered me the use of contraceptive potions. But that news won't be made official or public so we'll still need to follow all the laws but till I'm helping the aurors with their work I have refused to get pregnant. I did not want to harm the unborn child because of my ignorance or stupidity. So at least till November we'll be….clear…? then depending on what career I choose, things may follow."

Oliver thought about it all and agreed that it was the correct thing to do. He would anyway prefer to welcome a child into a stable relationship and maybe they could use this time to do just that before discussing babies again, so he said as much to her.

"And.. and if I don't fall pregnant by the end of the year, we will have the option of separation should we so wish. We can claim my infertility as the reason. You will be awarded a period of a year to mourn, giving you plenty of time to find a nice girl and marry her, so that you aren't forced into anything again. And I will be documented as nearly infertile sparing me from the law, yet giving me the option to remarry should I so wish at a later date. I think it's the best we can expect in this situation" she shrugged.

He thought about that too and none of those thoughts were gentle! Her with another man being the worst one of them all. "Should I be reading something into this? We barely know each other and yet you've successfully found ways to get away from me by the end of the year?" he asked contemptuously.

She shook her head. "No, it's just that… Oliver you should get a chance to choose your partner. You should find a beautiful woman who shares your dreams and passions. You are a good man Oliver, you deserve to be happy. I promised you I'll find a way to do just that. That's my way. The only one I could come up with as of yet, at least."

"Really?" he asked angrily, " _that_ is the only option you could come up with? To ensure my happiness? Tell me something Hermione, does the concept of marriage really mean that little to you? For me marriage entails a forever after, for good and for worse and I would appreciate it if you could wrap that little head of yours around it before you walk down the aisle to say 'I do'. I refuse to have it any other way. Once we are married, that's that for me. No going back. Ever!"

"But that will be forcing yourself to be happy with what you're served. You, Oliver can choose your own stuff from an entire tantalizing buffet! Why would you want to be stuck with me?"

"For whatever reason Hermione, if it's you that has been dished out to me, it's you I'll have. If this is not acceptable to you, speak to Kingsley and find a new match, cause I'm not about to change my notions of marriage for you."

This was met by silence. Then she broke it, "I don't know why I keep putting my foot in my face whenever we discuss marriage! I just wanted to tell you about my chat with Kingsley so that you're aware of everything. I'm not saying we need to do this, all I'm saying is that it's an option we'll have."

 _Oh the woman is daft!_ he groaned inwards, but he let the issue drop, knowing now was neither the time nor this the place to try to knock some sense into her. With time, he'd change her views, he promised to himself. "I'm letting it go for now but only because this is not a good time or place to discuss this. I will not change my views about **holy matrimony** so think about what you want to do before tying the knot with me" he instructed her instead in no uncertain terms.

Just when he was about to apparate away, she held his hand, "Oliver wait. Let's not fight and leave it at that. If something happens to me I'd hate to think I left one angry scot behind."

He weighed her words and played them to his advantage. "Fine. I'm ready to kiss and make up. And I hope this tips the scales in my favor," he said and brought her to him in a kiss like no other she'd ever had. He chastised her, forgave her and turned her into a big ball of taut nerves ready to snap any minute, with that one kiss. Throwing a long hungry look her way, he was gone with loud crack.

She touched her finger tips to her lips, gasping _Oliver_ as she did so – _his kisses speak._ Warning herself to not get too used to them, she made her way back to the Burrow.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11:**

It was the third Sunday in a row that Oliver was at the Burrow. Hermione had been out for three days again in the past week and then slept for the next two, so he hadn't seen her for the whole week yet again. He'd worked out his irritation on their spat last Sunday, plenty on the field, all through the week, so now he was just happy to be seeing her shortly. He made his way to the backyard walking through the orchards, to find everyone turned to face Hermione.

"No way! I am not doing that again. Not today." She folded her arms in front of her chest making her breasts come up and Oliver was just glad no one had noticed him yet as he openly stared at her defiant profile, wishing he was close enough to see the color of her eyes this time. On that note he cleared his throat to make his presence known and walked up to the center of the group.

Even before he could greet her or she him, the door leading to the homestead opened and out walked a very pleased looking Charlie. While everyone gasped out their surprise at the new arrival, Hermione dashed off to him, bringing him in a big bear hug, gushingly saying, "Charlie! I am so glad you're here! I could kiss you right now."

Oliver felt a green monster rise inside him at that and he glared furiously at Charlie. _She has never welcomed me so warmly_ he thought darkly. Charlie looked over the top of her head at him, smiling at what he saw in his Oliver's eyes, he turned to the pretty brunette in his arms, "I rather you didn't Mione, what with Oliver staring daggers at me right now. But come tonight, I'm sure we could find ways to express our mutual happiness at seeing each other."

Oliver felt sheer rage inside him. Charlie was laughing at his expressions, so Oliver just narrowed his eyes at him and flipped him off holding up his middle finger discreetly enough for others to miss and prominently enough for him to see. Charlie never stopped laughing after that.

"You're incorrigible Charlie, as always." Hermione punched him on shoulder, hooked her arm with his and brought him towards the group.

"So why the sudden warm welcome from you witch?" Charlie asked, half turning to face Hermione.

Her happiness at seeing Charlie, comfort in being hooked to his arm, the easy banter between them, was all driving Oliver quietly insane with jealousy, until he heard her reply.

"Now you can replace me! These sadists make me play quidditch every Sunday under the pretext of having one player short. But now they'll have you. You'll enjoy the ungodly game, everyone plays happily and I for once get to spend my Sunday with my feet firmly on the ground!" Hermione blabbered on.

"Hmm…" Charlie thought about it all for a few seconds then looked at his old team mate and buddy before announcing his decision.

"Oh I don't like that look," Hermione frowned. "How about I cheer for you during the game and get you, why just you, I'll get everyone an ice cream after it? Just please let me be," she requested.

Oliver did not like the thought of her cheering for anyone except him and bit his inner cheek hard and fisted his hands in his pocket to keep from thrashing Charlie for being a part of his own family get together!

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass Mione. You should know better than to pit two strong wizards against each other like that," he said smiling indulgently at her, as if she was a 10 year old. "And I have a way out to keep everyone happy," he winked. Then looking straight at Audrey he ordered, "Hey Audrey, get your man on a broom, I dare you and if you do that I'll get the ice creams for everyone."

Before Audrey could even respond, Percy had turned a nice shade of Weasley red, stared Hermione down with pure hate, adding "I'll not forgive you this," and started walking towards the broom shed.

"Never knew he was so whipped," laughed Ginny.

Audrey flushing delicately at the scene that had just unfolded in front her, turned around and giving coy glances towards the shed, she said, "Maybe I should just go speak with him for a moment."

Everyone laughed knowingly as she sprinted down to the shed.

Charlie then turned to the frozen brunette beside him and added, "And to you little one," he said pinching her nose "I promise I'll kick everyone's ass and get the snitch, helping the girls to win for a change." That was greeted by loud chorus of yays and boos, but Hermione remained frozen.

She looked from Charlie to Harry, mumbling, "Oh this is going to be a long…long match," and started dejectedly towards the broom shed herself.

For that game, Ginny changed her position to a chaser as Charlie was their seeker, pit against Harry. Charlie alternated between looking for the snitch, keeping Hermione straddled to the broom and actually doing the keeper's job all through the match and yet somehow he caught the snitch, bagging the first win for the girl's team so far. The game however lasted a good hour and a half.

For the few minutes that Charlie flew away to catch the snitch, Hermione's broom played havoc and Oliver was immediately beside her, instructing her yet again to keep her mind blank.

"You realize you saying this every time does not help me at all, don't you?" Hermione threw back.

Oliver had had enough already. Her closeness with Charlie, their ease with each other had already darkened his mood considerably and now she was snapping at him while just a couple of minutes back she'd been perched stiffly yet controllably on the same fucking broom, with Charlie by her side. He threw one angry look her way, silencing her tirade and just pulled her on his broom and flew them away, uncaring about the result of the broom, the match or even about abandoning his post just then.

He flew her way higher than he had ever before and then turned and got his broom down to a small patch of forest near the Burrow. Miniaturizing his broom in one swift motion, he pocketed it and locked Hermione between a big tree trunk and himself. "Now, tell me, do you prefer Charlie over me? Is there something going on between the two of you that I should be aware of?" he barked.

"What!? NO! Why would you even think such thing? That's just disgusting," Hermione paled at his accusations.

"Is it now?" he snapped.

Hermione just stared at Oliver, his taut tensed face, his fisted hands beside her shoulders and furrowed her brows, "You're jealous?" she whispered questioningly. And then her eyes grew big when she saw the answer in his. "You _are_ jealous." Then as if thinking through something deeply she spoke again, "That's what he meant by pitting two strong wizards against each other… I was wondering." Then she smiled, her eyes going a soft brown at that. "You have nothing to be jealous about Oliver, all the Weasley boys and Harry are like brothers to me. They all kind of took Harry and me in all those years back and now with the situation with my parents, they've just turned themselves into my surrogate family. There's nothing between me and any of them, and trust me, there never will be. It would just feel too much like incest," she shuddered.

He heard the sincerity in her voice and saw it in her eyes and felt like a fool. _Why did she arouse such strong emotions in me?_ he wondered. He looked down, gathered his thoughts and looked at her again. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly, letting his hands drop and taking a step back.

She held his wrist with one hand and cupped his cheek with the other, "It's alright Oliver. We barely know each other. There are bound to be misunderstandings. As long as we clear the air out before it's too late, we should be fine," she continued in a slow, soft tone, giving him a small smile.

He held the hand on his cheek in place with his own and turned to kiss its palm, bending his head down to touch his forehead to hers. "Thank you," he whispered and brought her face up to his for a long burning kiss that spoke of his distress on seeing her with another man, his jealousy, his rage and yet of his understanding of her emotions, his regret of the misjudgment and his gratitude at being forgiven for it all.

Try as she might, Hermione could not bring herself to look up at him after that kiss while Oliver found it strangely amusing and smirked.

"Come, we might as well take back the promised ice creams since we are here," Oliver pulled at her hands and apparated them to Diagon Alley for the purchase.

Waiting for their ice creams, Oliver looked around and saw Madame Malkin's Dress Robes Shop across the street and asked Hermione if she had bought hers yet. Their wedding was after all just two weeks away. She replied in the negative but said she'd planned on doing that the next day, so he dropped the topic. They quietly picked their parcel up after it was handed over and apparated back to the Burrow to face the music he was sure their abrupt departure would have erupted!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12:**

He met her next, three days later, on Wednesday around mid-morning when she dropped in unexpectedly at the stadium. Since their engagement had made top news after the ministry ball, she was sent straight to the family box where she requested the coach to spare Oliver for a few minutes for a quick word.

On the coach's signal Oliver flew down and was surprised to find he was happy to see her there instead of being annoyed about the intrusion to his practice. Smiling, he made a beeline for her but halted in his steps on seeing the torment in her eyes. She usually was never tormented, he realized. Angry, happy, flustered, naughty but not tormented, she was most sure of her ways so the doubts never came. He felt a little fear creep into his heart – was their relationship the reason for the doubts clouding her eyes. He fervently hoped not!

Hermione saw him walking towards her and braced herself for the showdown ahead.

"Hermione," he greeted. "What a pleasant surprise."

She gave a small smile. "I'm sorry to pull you away from your practice like this but I felt I'd best say this to you in person than in a letter. Oliver, I have to leave. It's… it's a longer mission this time but it's a very sensitive one, no scope for mistakes. In fact they've even pulled Harry and Ron out of their training for this one too. I really tried to turn it down but…. but I'm needed there. I hope you understand…"

"So what are you saying?" he asked, way too many unpleasant thoughts crowding his mind right now.

"Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and your mum will look at our wedding preparations. I'm not really needed here for those. But I'm needed there Oliver. It's a question of innumerable innocent lives. I… I'll be leaving from here…."

"So it's just you there for saving the world again?" he didn't know why he was biting her head off, he had to be supportive, he knew, what she was doing was definitely more important than planning a mere day. But it wasn't a mere day, was it? It was their wedding, and she was running off to Merlin knew where instead of being here. He fisted his hands around his broom.

Hermione saw that and sighed. "Oliver… I promise I'll be back on time. I won't humiliate everyone by missing it. I…. I'm really very sorry about this Oliver, but I have to go. I'll owl you the minute I'm back, I promise. Just… please take care and try to not hate me too much okay?" she said, giving him a quick hug and a peck on his cheek before running off.

He saw her leave and hated himself for not holding her into him, for not asking her to be careful, for not even telling her to be back soon for he'll be waiting for her…..

!

To correct his mistake, Oliver met with the ladies every single day for all the days of Hermione's absence, helping them plan the wedding. He wanted the day to be perfect for Hermione since they would be starting their lives together and because he felt he owed her at least that much after being a prat of the first waters on their last meet.

It was three days before the wedding that he found himself with Ginny sipping tea in the den at the Burrow, while their mothers spoke at length about something or the other in the kitchen, when Ginny gave him small smile and asked after his absence on the previous Sunday. He looked up from his cup and shrugged. She smiled.

"You like her, don't you?" she asked tentatively.

"She's difficult to not like," he answered after thinking about that for a minute, smiling.

"I'm worried about them you know, those three. This mission was a little dangerous. Harry wouldn't give me any details, they aren't allowed to speak of it and yet his parting kiss… it broke my heart Oliver. I can't speak about this with anyone else but I hope you and I will have each other's backs cause I can really see this happening a lot in the near future," she sighed.

He considered it all and gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand for comfort. "We'll keep each other company."

Just then the fire at the floo turned green and Ron fell into the room, barely managing to roll over, followed by Harry who fell on the floor flat on his face and then came Hermione who crashed on Harry's back and rolled on the floor with a thud beside him. A letter flew at the table and Ginny stretched one long arm and caught it, ripping it open.

"It's their status letter. Comes after every visit to inform of any special care they may need for the next 48 hours," she explained to Oliver.

He heard her but his eyes were glued to the three youngsters lying on the floor and he finally understood the amount the three still suffered. _They are still fighting the war_ , he realized and felt like a heel all over again for his misbehavior with Hermione the previous week.

"They're all okay…thank Merlin! Just on heavy healing potions. Will be knocked out for the next two days though," Ginny informed him and looked up in time to see Oliver's odd expressions. Before she could form a thought about that he was kneeling next to Hermione, with the tender-most look on his face. She saw him stretching his hand out to touch her and then pull it back. Ginny winced internally. _The other two members of Golden Trio sure had it going hard_ she thought, walking beside Oliver, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you take her to her room. It's on the second floor, bang opposite the stairs. Hers is the bed just beside the door. Lay her down. I'll come check on her once I get the other two settled."

"I'll help you," he said with a tight smile.

She just shook her head. "You go ahead with her. I've got Harry and Mum will take care of Ron. Don't worry," she said and walked to the kitchen to get her mother.

Oliver was still bent on the sleeping witch watching her intently, when the other three witches reached them. He heard them but did not turn around. His mother walked up behind him and rubbed his shoulders soothingly. "It's not over for them yet," he whispered softly, but everyone heard him in the quiet of the night, "they're still fighting the war," he said again. The tender way in which he was looking at Hermione, the tone of his pained voice brought tears to every woman's eyes. "Take her to her room Ollie, she'll be more comfortable there. She needs the rest," his mother spoke to him in a soft soothing voice. He nodded once and picked Hermione up in his arms protectively, as if wanting to shield her, shelter her, as if not wanting to let her out of his arms ever again. But he waited till Ginny and her mother had levitated Harry and Ron and taken them to their room. "Ollie I'll floo home soon. I will see you later love," his mother kissed him on his cheek and he made his way up the stairs, head still bent down, looking at Hermione.

His mother bid her goodbyes to Molly and Ginny and left. As soon as she reached the Wood Manor she sought his father out, going straight into his arms "Ollie's got it so bad," she cried. "It broke my heart to see him so miserable today," she kept sniffling while her husband rubbed her back and told her to be happy for their son who had found such a special witch for himself.

!

Oliver gingerly laid Hermione down on her bed and sat at its edge beside her, cradling her right hand in both of his. He was trying to hold her fingers in his when he felt something in her fist. Opening her fisted hand, he pulled out a torn piece of parchment. The words were scribbled in a very shaky hand, as if she didn't have much control over her fingers or the quill but it didn't take him long to decipher the three words she had tried to write on it and he broke down, fisting his hands tightly around hers, touching it to his forehead, letting his silent tears of repentance fall freely. He then kissed the same hand over and over again. _I am sorry. I am so sorry. I'll never behave like that again. I promise._ He repeated in his heart and his mind, scrunching the paper in his hands, wetting it with a few stray tears of his. She'd scribbled it for him – 'Oli I'm back' it said.

!

Ginny came to check on Hermione an hour later and found Oliver softly caressing her inner right forearm and she flinched, sheer hate and anger filling her in once again. Hermione always covered it up with muggle make up or long sleeved dresses, Ginny knew, so this was probably the first time Oliver was seeing it, she reasoned before saying, "They were captured by snatchers during their year on the run. She was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange at the Malfoy Manor. She… She carved it in her arms with an enchanted dagger. It can't be taken away."

Oliver stiffened in his anger. That dastardly woman had dared to hurt his Hermione like this! Scarring her flesh with such a vile word! His gentle rubbing on the scarred word stopped as he sat frozen rigid. Ginny again placed her small hand on his shoulder, "She is dead now. My mum killed her when she tried to murder me at the Battle of Hogwarts." And then because she could not resist, she added, "Just….. Just take care of our Hermione for us Oliver. She's… she's amazing," Ginny finished lamely, unable to find the perfect word to describe her best girlfriend. He nodded, his eyes never leaving Hermione. "I know. I will. I promise," he whispered and gently stroked Hermione's hand again, the one he'd found the letter in, the one he'd not yet let go.

"Oliver, sleep here tonight. I'll be with Harry three rooms down on the right. You can leave from here for work in the morning," Ginny finished by adding a spare duvet, fresh sheets and pillow on her old bed, on the other side of the room and quietly stepped out, silently pleading to the two inside to come to their senses soon enough to understand the special bond they shared with each other, while walking back to George's old room where she'd put Harry for the night.

Oliver spent the night sitting beside Hermione, caressing her hand. The other bed laid there remained untouched. At 6 in the morning he kissed her hand again, gave her a long look and went down to speak to Mrs. Weasley and then he flooed back home to freshen up and change before leaving for the stadium.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13:**

On Friday a little close to noon, Hermione walked down to the dining area at the Burrow to a chorus of 'there comes the bride!' She remained confused as Ginny served her food. Only ten minutes after she'd chugged all the food down did she fit the scrambled bits and pieces together in her head and froze.

"There is it! Now she realizes that she's getting married today," joked Alicia, laughingly.

And Hermione heaved a long sigh and sat through the entire round of teasing, suddenly losing her limited energy resources. And then she sat mutely as woman after woman of the Weasley household fussed over her dress, hair, make up, shoes and everything else in between. They all loved her dress that had a tube bodice with some flair at the skirt, a few high strands of silver and pearl highlights scattered all through it. They finally pronounced her dressed, gorgeous and ready and left her for the first few minutes of solitude with her thoughts for the first time that day. Not 10 minutes after, Hermione heard some commotion outside her door. Just when she was walking towards it to fling it open and scream for some quiet she heard his voice, speaking scathingly to his mother.

"Oh that's hogwash Mother! I need to know she is doing okay in there."

That was met by a few softly murmured remarks that Hermione could not discern. Then came a loud thundering from her groom leaving no scope for any objection whatsoever, " **Mother, that's my bride in there!** I need to know she is doing alright and not walking around in circles wearing out a hole on the floor as we speak and I'll be damned if I let anyone keep me from finding that out for myself. But I can compromise. If it fashes yae so much, I'll not see her. I'll talk to her through the shut door if I must but talk to her I will!" and with that there was a single bang on her door rattling it a little, followed by, "Lass, don't open the door but we need to speak, can you come towards it please?"

Despite her nerves, Hermione smiled, "Yes, Oliver tell me."

"Are you… are you doing okay in there?" he asked, concern for her making his voice go all soft.

She smiled, "Almost."

He nodded outside, wondering what to say next. It had seemed like the thing he just had to do when he was leaving the stadium after his practice. He'd gone to Wood Manor, showered and dressed and made his way here. His mother had been trying to talk him out of it since! She'd even followed him here to stop him! Of course he hadn't though. But now that he was here, he wasn't sure what to say next.

"You?" came a timid voice from inside.

He smiled. That was just so her. She always made sure that he was doing alright too. "Yes, I guess, the few battles I fought to get here notwithstanding. Just in case you were wondering, you're well-guarded by the Weasley boys and Harry!" They both laughed, albeit strained, at that. Then there was silence for the next few seconds.

"I… I guess I'll see you at the wedding now, then" he said, scratching a little at the thick wooden door, twisting his pout, "I… think you'll make a beautiful bride."

No reply. She couldn't, she was too busy trying to get her blush to leave her alone.

"I'm gonna go now before Charlie decides to physically haul me away. So.. uhm.. until later then."

She smiled, "Uhm Oliver..?"

He immediately perked up at the sound of his name and was standing ramrod straight by her door again, "Yes love?"

"Thank you. This.. this meant a lot to me."

He smiled, bending his head to touch the door. "I'll see you soon," he whispered and she heard the telltale thudding of his footsteps fading as he walked away.

She too dipped her head, touching it to the door. _Until later then_ she whispered in her head.

And soon enough the door was thrown open again and all the young girls came barging in, teasing her about the extremely 'cute and adorable' debacle and slowly their teasing turned lewd and Hermione was back to staying mum and getting her color to recede!

!

It was much after the ceremony at the Wood Manor, when the reception was in full swing with couples dancing all around that Oliver saw her sitting all by herself at the last table in the grounds decorated for their reception, plunged in a little darkness, fiddling and scratching at the table cloth. He walked up till there and took the seat beside her, simply watching her. "Do you like it?" he asked her softly.

She gave a pained smile at that. "It's much better than what I had expected to be honest. I.. I was honestly prepared for something so much more ostentatious than this but, this" she said looking around with a pleased smile, "is just so much better. I love the white flower arrangements and those," she said pointing at the golden light balls charmed to hover 10 feet above the ground all over the reception area, "are my favorite product from WWW, along with the fireworks of course!"

Oliver smiled at that. "You have no idea how much I had to fight those three obstinate women you left in charge for toning the wedding down to this level. They had these hideously colorful bouquets picked and the cake and… well everything else was a nightmare! We'd all have gone blind with the bling they had planned! I had to fight…"

"You helped plan this?" she asked looking at him for the first time since he'd sat down, her face showing her shock at that news.

"Yes. I… I felt like a heel for the way I behaved with you before you left so I thought I'd give you a wedding to be happy about," he shrugged, looking away from her.

She considered his reply for a minute. "Thank you," she whispered and went back to the table cloth.

"Will you… can you at least tell me if it's anything like what you had in mind for your wedding?"

She smiled again, "I wasn't lying when I said I didn't have a dream wedding. I just thought… that.. well you know… someday I'd meet someone who'd put up with my temper and all my other quirks yet fall crazily for me. One morning he'd wake up beside me to find he couldn't go on a day more without me in his life and then he'd convince me to go to the ministry with him and get our marriage registered the same morning and then we'd follow it with a small brunch to tell all our friends and family about what we'd gone and done. And that was that."

He whistled at that. "Wow! You take simple to whole new level, don't you?" She just half smiled. "What about the rings, the bouquets and the wedding dress?"

She shrugged, "How do they matter anyway?"

And Oliver gawked at the petite girl sitting beside him. He really had no experience with anyone as simple or as pure as her. He didn't know a single girl who'd by-pass the most important day of her life for a registry marriage because she was in love. _Life with her is going to challenge so many of my previously held notions_ he thought, still staring at her bent intently on the table, scratching at its cloth, lost in deep thought.

"We'll make it work lass. We'll find ways to understand each other."

She stopped what she was doing and sat frozen for a few minutes. Then a small smile played on her lips, "You'll do Oliver. I look forward to my life with you." She gave him a long look, as if committing his features to her memory and he sat still through it all, doing the same with her, afraid to move and break the moment.

But it was broken nonetheless. She blinked, blushed, then looked away, getting up without a second's notice as she made her way back to the reception area. Oliver sat there, just taking her in as she moved around, mingling with everyone again and smiled. _This should be interesting._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14:**

It was well past midnight when they flooed out of the Wood Manor to Wood Park, Oliver's estate a little beyond the Wood Manor. Oliver held out his hands to steady her when she stepped out of the fireplace just behind him. Holding her at her waist, he looked intently at her. She looked like a big ball of nerves, stretched to their limits, eyes almost green. Before he could speak or move, "Tea," she squeaked.

"I need tea. Do you need tea? I'm gonna go make some tea. Shall I make some for you too? I'll make some tea for you too. We'll drink tea," she ranted on and almost ran to the open kitchen she could see from where she was standing.

Oliver furrowed his brows and watched her dash, following close behind. She got busy in the kitchen trying to place the necessary ingredients the muggle way, by opening and shutting all the cabinets instead of summoning the tea bags and sugar. He moved to the breakfast bar beside the kitchen counter, shrugging out of his jacket, waist coat and tie and hanging them on his chair before sitting down. He slipped open the top two buttons of his shirt and then worked on the ones at the cuff, folding the sleeves to just below the elbow, all the while watching her mad rush all around the spacious kitchen. _Delaying tactics_ he smiled. _She is nervous._ He openly stared at her while she assembled all the ingredients around the counter and started to make the tea. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown and he was itching to get rid of it. He waved his wand her way and her hair came cascading down from its tight confinements above her nape.

She shivered as she looked at him. He shrugged, "I like it better this way." She blushed and looked down at the pot, willing it take its time. It came to a boil immediately. _Just my luck_ she scowled and began to assemble the tea. She held both the cups in her hands and walked towards the table setting one down in front of him. She did not get any sugar or milk along and he wasn't going to give her a reason to move away from him again, so he just sipped the horribly rancid looking tea and tried not to wince at the taste. _The woman cooks as well as she flies_ he laughed in his head.

For her part, she did not really register its taste and chugged the whole cup down almost in three gulps. "I'll quickly wash up," she jumped up saying and took his still half full cup along with hers. Not that he was complaining about having to give up that tea!

Something needed to give, he figured and called out to her, "Hermione.. is everything…" she froze at the husky sound of his voice and felt the cups drop from her hands. Within the blink of an eye he was by her side, catching the cups before they hit the floor. He straightened up in front of her, towering a good foot over her head, she felt as if she was living in a daze, actually seeing him for the first time after they had come here.

"Hermione.." he tried again. That shook her out and she snatched the cups from his hands and proceeded towards the sink. He stood just where he was for a moment or two, weighing his next move. She refused to speak to him, _so I don't have too many options now do I?_ he reasoned in his mind.

Decision made, he moved to stand behind her, locking her between himself and the sink by placing his arms on both her sides, rubbing them up and down near her waist. He slowly moved her curly mane to one side, nuzzling the crook behind her ears, "You make such an incredibly beautiful bride Hermione, I swear you knocked my breath off when you walked down the aisle towards me earlier tonight," he continued to pepper her ear, neck and collar with kisses. She moaned, eyes shut, his light touch burning her skin somehow. _Just nerves then_ he thought, happy to know she liked his touches. He planned on doing a lot of just that all through his life. He smiled at that thought and moved in to nibble at her jaw, while he unzipped her dress from behind, silently thanking her foresight in getting a dress with a zipper instead of one with way too many tiny buttons, he probably would not have survived that torture tonight. He moved his head back, nuzzling her back as it was bared to him, inch by delicious inch even as he increased the pressure on her hands to hold them in place when he felt them moving to try to hold her falling dress.

"There's no need to hide yourself lass," he whispered, his tone sending shivers down her spine. He bent and picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom, both forgetting her wedding dress on the kitchen floor.

He maneuvered the door open to their bedroom and kicked it shut behind them, carried her straight to bed, placing her at its center and moving back to see her. She sat there bashfully, too scared to move. _She's thinking too much_ he realized and then gave his all to ensure that thoughts were the last thing on her mind for the night. "Let all else go lass. Be in this moment with me, as we come together as one," he whispered to her huskily as he touched her, kissed her, teased her, nibbled her, nipped her on every part of her body as he slowly got rid of their remaining clothes. When she was finally sprawled naked in front of him, he sat back and eyed his fill, chest heaving with a long breath. "You're beautiful," he whispered and bent down on her with a new vigor, an increased pace. Kissing his way down her body from her lips to her hips, he dipped his tongue in her navel and then nibbled at it, eliciting a loud moan from her that went straight to his erection, springing it harder. He looked into her eyes, gone dark, almost black with arousal, _probably just like mine,_ he thought and bent to kiss the curls darkening her center and at the same time inserting two of his fingers deep inside her, eliciting a loud moan yet again.

"Oh sweet Merlin! You're so tight! How long has it been lass?" Oliver groaned, working with his two fingers in her, barely managing to push them in her tight folds, yet coaxing her release, feeling her walls tighten all the more around him, pulling him in, knowing it was here.

"Oliver…." Hermione gasped, unable to form any other word apart from his name.

He gave his crinkled smile at that. "We'll change that now, shall we?" he asked, positioning himself between the v of her legs, slowly, deliberately touching her entrance with his erection. She groaned. He chuckled and entered her in one swift motion, locking her hands on either sides of her head with his own.

Hermione bit in his shoulder and gave a muffled cry of pain. Through sheer instinct Oliver held himself in check, too lost in the moment to understand what was happening, then slowly he eased himself in and out of her, softly, rhythmically and then he increased the pace and had them both moaning and panting in no time. She came down once more from her high and few strokes after that he came undone in her and went slack on her chest. "You're perfect," he whispered, shutting his eyes.

"So are you," Hermione replied, hugging him close.

!

He woke up on a cold bed to the sound of the shower running. _Oh bother! Whom did I do now?_ was his first thought, but slowly the events of the previous day came rushing back to him. His wedding. Hermione. Her smiling shyly at him. The kisses in the kitchen. Their night of passion. And suddenly he froze as a particular memory hit his head. He sat upright and pulled the duvet down. And there on the sheets lay the big blotch of proof. Proof of her chastity. Proof of his idiocy. _Shit!_ He felt like a heel as he covered that taunting red blotch on the pristine white sheets with the duvet again. He had wanted her, he had ravished her, without any consideration for her needs. He had assumed she didn't have time to sleep around due to the war not long back and her current busy schedule. But he'd forgotten she had been fighting the war long before most. She'd never had time for any of it. And at the end, even he, the man sworn to love and cherish her, had hurried her. He felt the weight of his guilt on his shoulders and hung his head low in his hands, as if waiting for the sentence of his death penalty.

 _But why hadn't she told me?_ She, who had dated Victor Krum, she who had been in hiding for a year with two boys and yet she hadn't bothered with telling him that she was a virgin before their wedding night. How could he ever have guessed? And then he thought back to all the interactions between the golden trio, they were close, very close but there was never any sexual tension between them, it was just plain old love and friendship. He remembered her saying that she was 15 to Krum's 18 when they had dated, so _probably_ she had held back. He gave a mirthless smile at that…Probably? HA! But for whatever reason, she had held back with them all and yet lit like a firecracker in his arms, under his ministrations. He was just about to smile proudly at that when he remembered all his actions again and his pride and happiness deflated once more.

 _But why hadn't she said anything?_ That was the question burning in his mind when Hermione came out of the bath, wrapped snugly in his bath robe that absolutely drowned her, steam following her out, lending a strawberry essence to the air in the bedroom.

She smiled blushingly on seeing him awake. "Good morning Oliver."

He sat at the edge of the bed, a part of the duvet barely covering his modesty and leaving everything below his mid-thigh and above his waist open for Hermione's perusal, while he just sat and stared at her. How could she be so damn calm about the whole fiasco? Her serenity irritated him and he lashed out at her. "Why didn't you tell me Hermione?"

She looked at him blankly, willing her eyes to move away from the springy hair on his long legs to his eyes, now shining with hurt and guilt. "Why didn't you tell me you _were_ a virgin Hermione?"

She flushed at that. "I….. didn't…."

"Don't bother lying," he said and pulled the other side of the duvet down again. She paled at the proof.

"Well… I… I didn't think it was that important. It's not particularly contagious you know."

He winced at her try at humor, all his anger abating, only to be replaced by more guilt. She should be the one lashing out at him, not the other way around, he chided himself darkly, a dark frown marring his perfect features. Hermione saw the change in his demeanor and went to sit beside him.

"What's the matter Oliver?" she asked sweetly, cupping his face in her both hands.

"Hermione I must have hurt you real bad last night. If only you had told me, there are things I could've done to prolong your pleasure and lessen your pain. I feel like shit for being so consumed in my passion that I couldn't even place the reason for your obvious discomfort at the intrusion."

"Oliver," she whispered but he couldn't look at her any more. "Oliver…. Please look at me love…" He looked up at that, the desperate plea in her voice making him look at her. "Oliver, I really did enjoy myself last night. It was beautiful. And if it concerns you so much, we can always do those special things next time," she said, mischief mingled with coyness turning her eyes into deep pools of molten caramel dusted with a pinch of dark chocolate at the edges.

He sucked in a harsh breath at that. "Will you forgive me Hermione? For being such a jerk on our first night? I swear I'll make it up to you every single day for the rest of my life…."

She smiled at that. "You don't have to do anything like that. I honestly did enjoy myself last night and I wouldn't change a thing about it, even if I could. It was perfect. At least for me." She smiled at him again, willing him to smile back. He did, though a little remorse still lingered in his eyes.

"Did it hurt too bad? Did I make you…?"

She just placed a finger on his lips. "No. Not any more than it would have any way. With time…. and practice…." she blushed, looking away a little, "I'll get better. Don't worry."

He smiled a small smile then. "With practice huh?" he asked, desire changing his eyes to dark chocolate. "Shall we have a session now then?" he asked and bent in to capture her mouth. But he came back up within two seconds, "You'd tell me right? If I hurt you, you'd let me know immediately?" She nodded, smiling. He smiled back and started the kisses again.

He took utmost care with her and did all the things he should have done the previous night. He treated her as if she was made of porcelain, she liked it but she wanted her uninhibited Oliver, not this careful one. "You're holding back Oliver, I can feel it. Lay it on me. I can take it, I promise," she whispered.

He groaned but held himself in check. "Indulge me this time, lass. Next time onwards I'll follow your instructions," he offered, continuing his attentions. She smiled and moaned and soon they were both lost to the world.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15:**

On Monday morning, Oliver was whistling to himself as he made his way down the stands, thinking of his weekend with his new bride. He smiled at that. She had come to him as pure as the snow and yet lit him on fire with her shy touches. He'd been scared at first after his horrid behavior on their first night, but she'd pulled him out of that state easily enough and he had used up the entire weekend to make it up to her. After they'd finally managed to get out of bed on Saturday morning, he'd shown her around the house, naughtily pointing out all the different places he planned on having her soon. She had flushed scarlet by the end of their tour and he'd laughed.

Unfortunately his house elf had come in with their breakfast summons just then and she'd fumed about him having an elf! That's when he'd gotten his first lecture post-marriage and during the rant he had understood what S.P.E.W. was! He had cursed himself for not asking about it after their first flight but nonetheless, he'd let himself be talked into paying the elf – it didn't much bother him one way or another as long as she did not hurt their feelings. He had just made sure that he warned her about her dealings with them as they tended to be emotional in nature and suicidal by tendency, then she had smiled and kissed him for being so caring. He'd been thoroughly confused for a good 30 seconds, and then a completely different emotion had overcome him and he'd run into the bath, lest he pull her in along with him and end up hurting her again.

But that hadn't been too big a miss. She had recovered quickly after the first night and their morning after and then over the weekend they had talked and made love and then talked some more and then kissed and then done it some more. She had even talked him into practicing a little when they had walked around the estate and he'd shown her the pitch he'd installed there a couple of years back. She had enchanted quaffles in quick succession and thrown them at him from the ground below, challenging his skills and helping him to time his act better. He'd taken her flying after that, on his favorite broom for the first time, to show her the aerial view of their estate and she'd sat on his lap, straddling him, both their fronts touching each other while on the broom, hugged him close and buried her head in his chest all through the ride.

He knew since their first date that she was easy to talk to, now he knew she was a quick study too and a wiz at strategizing. She did not play much quidditch herself but she could strategize the play better than most on his team. And not just that too, she had soon enough learned a few of his favorite moves in bed and surprised him, albeit shyly, in the shower just that morning saying she knew he had wanted to do that on Saturday. He'd kissed her senseless after that and taken her hard against the bathroom door. She had slumped on his shoulder after that and welcomed him back. He had cocked his brow in question and she'd told him that she'd felt him holding back after their first night and now he was back – " _My Oliver_ from our first night," she'd called him and he'd been a goner since, picking her up flush against him and taking her yet again in a span of 20 minutes in the shower, lasting forever this time. And now that he was just running down the stairs towards the pitch, he was already counting the hours before he'd be back home with his wife that night.

He was too preoccupied thinking of his lovely wife to realize what a big change that was in him.

!

When he flooed home that evening, Hermione peeped out from the library to check who it was and her smile on seeing him had lit the room. "You're back! I was wondering when you'd be home," she said and ran to greet him. She stood two paces away from him, looking him up and down. "How was your practice today?"

It had been so long since someone had asked him about his day that Oliver just stood there stunned for a few minutes before gathering his thoughts and then smilingly answering all her questions. She urged him to freshen up and had a _nice_ hot cup of tea for him at the table by the time he was back. When he asked her about her fix she just shrugged her shoulders saying she rarely bothered. _No wonder she doesn't know how bad that tastes_ he thought smiling internally. He sat by the table taking in the same tepid color of the tea, braced himself and downed its contents like a vile potion, not letting his discomfort show on his face.

He asked about her day and was not really surprised to find that she had spent it in the library, checking it out and then studying for her NEWTs. She was taking twelve of them after all! She'd need all the study time she could get, thought Oliver.

!

The next two weeks passed similarly. Oliver played through the day and Hermione studied. She had taken two weeks long leave of absence from the _favors_ she was doing the minister so she was home. Every evening she would greet Oliver by the fireplace when he got home. He would then freshen up while she brewed him tea. They would speak about their day while he gulped the tea down. Then they would talk some more or Oliver would lie down on her lap while she read some book or another while stroking his hair. That was followed by dinner, thankfully provided by Mini, who was now paid 10 galleons a week much to her grief but put up with it because she did not want to be set free by them. Mini and Hermione had worked that out for themselves and Oliver was **not** going to interfere between them. **At all!**

Dinner was always followed by long hours of love making where Oliver would introduce a world of new sensations to Hermione and she would surprise him every other day with some new moves that she had read or heard about. Oliver was happy to realize that he liked Hermione very much and if things continued just such he would soon fall head first for her. He smiled at that. She was so different from every other witch he had been with or even known. She was so different from him! And yet he was going crazy about her!

Wanting to do something special for her, Oliver had asked her out on a date as soon as he had stepped out of the fireplace, on their first Thursday. He still smiled at her reaction. "Why?" she had squeaked.

"What do you mean 'why'? Would you not like to go out to a nice fancy place. All dressed up and pretty. Have people fawn all over you?"

"Uhm.. No." He had furrowed his brows at that, fixing her with a stare that said 'get talking and explain now' and she had. "Do you agree that people go out for dates to get some privacy and talk?"

"Of course!" he had scoffed.

"So tell me Oliver, what place is more private than our home? We are comfortable here, we can talk all we want and it assures privacy, something that we will **never** have outside, unless of course we go to the muggle side or across the hemisphere. So why bother? I like it here. Don't you?" she had questioned with a little doubt turning her eyes taupe.

Oliver had thought about that and just like that his notions of date nights had changed. He had never met any witch who had turned down the option of fine dining ever, especially with him, knowing that being seen with him was enough to get all the press they wanted. Yet she had, that little girl in front of him! He had stepped towards her, bending down to pull her in for a kiss, "Looks like we'll be starting the other side of date night early then," and he'd picked her up in his arms, walking towards their bedroom, his quidditch bag still perched on his right shoulder, happily noting that she had wrapped her arms around his neck.

That night when he'd walked back to the kitchen after freshening up, he was surprised yet again to see she had charmed candles to hover near the table, taking care to set them high up - a good foot above his stretched arms, and she had set the table for two, complete with a black and white checkered tablecloth and a red rose in a tiny white vase at its center. "You're just incredible, you know that. Every time I feel I'm close to figuring you out, you just…" he trailed off when she walked up to him and pecked him on the lips.

"Do you like it?"

"You realize I should be the one doing all this for you? Not the other way around."

"Well… My parents raised me to be gender neutral" she shrugged with her eyes going all caramel. _Mood for mischief_ Oliver smiled.

"I like it. Thank you. Though from now on, I do hope you'll open all my doors, pull out my chair and kiss me at the door," he said with a straight face and she threw her head back and laughed. And on that delicious sound their evening started…..

On the previous Saturday morning when he'd woken to a naked Hermione spooned beside him, the effect had been immediate. He had started peppering her with kisses and got her to moan in her sleep. Out of curiosity, to see if he could get her to come while asleep, he had fingered her deep and her sighs had set him on fire. He had increased the pace and massaged her breast while nibbling at the other one and just when he felt her walls closing in around his fingers, she had snapped awake and looked straight at him, her eyes a molten pool of hazel and dark gold – a little sleepy, a little raunchy and a lot aroused, hair spread all over the pillow beneath her head, hands tugging at his hair and digging in his shoulders. It was then that he'd known there was no going back. It would always be her for him, no one else, never again.

Hermione had been sure she was having an exceptionally delicious dream about her husband when she'd felt a dam burst inside her, snapping her awake, only to see him bent over her. Feeling her eyes on him he'd looked up and his crinkled smile had tugged at something deep in her heart and she felt herself spiraling out of control in the depths of his dark chocolate eyes. She was never gonna come out of this unharmed, she realized and shut her eyes, giving in to sensations.

"Look at me lass. I love this particular shade of your eyes. Tells me exactly how much you like this and pushes me over the edge," he whispered seductively, encouraging her to look at him. When she did, he kissed her on the lips and fondled with her breasts and nipples, rousing her to fever pitch. When they finally came up for air, he asked, "Do you trust me lass? To not hurt you any further?" She still saw the pain darkening his eyes every time he thought of their first night and wondered when, if at all, he would pardon himself for that. "Yes," she managed in a barely audible whisper. He smiled and began kissing her again, turning her into a ball of coiled excitement under him. His kisses went lower and lower still, all the way till her ankles and then he caught them with one hand and pulled her legs off the edge of their bed, kneeling on the floor as he threw her legs on both his sides, placing himself firmly between them. His body separated her legs and he laid an arm on her stomach, arresting both her wrists in his hand, ensuring she could move neither her legs nor her hands, knowing she would instinctively try to shut herself off when he did what he intended to do.

When Hermione saw him bending down near her center, she croaked, "Oliver, what are you doing?"

He looked up and saw the nerves written all across her face. _She's afraid. She's never done this before,_ he reasoned with himself seeing the green bordering her eyes and gave her a soft smile, saying instead, "You'll like it. I promise. Just lie down and enjoy it. And if you don't, then tell me and I'll stop it. Okay?" he saw the green of her panic leave her eyes and then she nodded and hit her head on the bed again. Wondering since when he got so patient with anyone, Oliver bent his head on her navel and nibbled on it, eliciting moans from his wife and getting her to relax, as he reached his hand between them and rubbed at her nub with the thumb of his free hand. He trailed his kisses lower and alternated between butterfly kisses and soft licks between her folds. Just when she gave a particularly strangled moan, he smiled, _I have her where I want her,_ he thought and got down to business.

He had been wanting to do this since their first night but that night he had been too consumed with himself, he thought yet again with regret and anger on himself; and then the nights after he had spent to get her to be more comfortable around him, with him. Finally, last night she had been uninhibited enough to sleep naked with him through the night so he'd figured he'd try this today. Though he had wanted to save it for later, the look in her eyes and his reaction to that look had urged him on and at long last, he was tasting her. He licked her folds and her clit, getting her used to the new feel and when he felt her shiver under his arm, he dipped his tongue inside her and she growled. _Interesting_ he mused. He did it again and again, slowly building the pace and she was groaning and slithering on the bed. He loved all those sounds she made, happy in the knowledge that he'd alone gotten close enough to her to get her to leave all her inhibitions behind and do just that. Slowly he added a finger in with his tongue and then one more and increased the pace, her frantic cry of his name accompanied her crash and she went still once again. Oliver lapped up all her juices before coming back to join her on the bed, waiting for her to catch her breath while resting his head on his hand, lying sideways beside her and idly playing with the nipple closest to him, getting her ready to go once more.

She took her time, so he took his and before she'd even caught her breath, he was nibbling at her nipples and areoles, lying on her, massaging her breasts. Slowly, he made his way to her collar and bit her lightly, she moaned. His eyes widened and he bit the same spot again earning the same reaction from her, changing the color of that spot of her skin to a pinkish-purplish hue. "Ah lass you're gonna kill me someday," he growled after her moan and threw her left leg around his waist and right on his shoulder and placing himself between them, he pushed in. The new angle was playing havoc with Hermione's insides and she opened her eyes to look at him. _Almost black, lust_ he growled again and pushed in harder, deeper, faster while biting down her breasts. She pulled at his hair and scratched his back turning his fair skin pink, panting his name loudly and just like that they both tumbled down together. "You're a hell cat in bed sometimes," he smiled panting before falling down on her, spent. She blushed and looked away at those words, trying to catch her breath.

They spent the whole of Saturday like that and Oliver did fulfil a few more of his fantasies, those he had described to her during their house tour. He had her sprawled in the most pleasurable of ways over the breakfast bar in the evening rolling one of her nipples with his one hand, firmly crooking two fingers inside her with his other and nibbling at the curved bone of her pelvis with his blunt teeth as he whispered softly to her, "Spend tomorrow with me lass. Just me. We can go to the Burrow next Sunday onwards, but just one more day with just us?"

Hermione didn't have to open her eyes to understand his plea, she heard it in his voice, try as he might to keep it away and gave a small smile at that. _My proud scot_ she thought lovingly. _Even his pleas are more of commands._ "I think I can be convinced to do that. But just for tomorrow."

He growled his approval, pushing her left leg up, he bit her inner thigh very close to her center "Aye! I'll make sure you don't regret your generosity Mrs. Wood."

She laughed at that and asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you are a sex addict Mr. _Wood_?"

He laughed at her play of their last name and took her amusement as a challenge, "Really now, _Mrs._ Wood? Do you think that?"

She nodded, "Yes, very much so."

He looked at her, mischief on his mind, "Can you please spell 'sex addiction' for me now then?" he asked and before she could go beyond 'S', he replaced his fingers with himself, pinching and rubbing her nub as he did that and increased his pace, setting a new urgent rhythm.

He saw her eyes almost roll into her head and said, smugly crinkling his lips, "You should never tell an addict that he has an addiction, it's like tickling a sleeping dragon. It'll only burn you in its wake," he laughed and brought his head down to kiss his wife, way too happy to have one more day to spend with her, without having to share her company. He had come to realize he really liked it way too much for a mere month and a half of acquaintance after all!

And that's how a week after that, on the next Sunday, Oliver and Hermione found themselves getting dressed for the Weasley Sunday fiesta, the first one she'd be attending as Mrs. Hermione Wood. Almost all the other couples were married already – Ginny being the first one to marry, right after the letter named her as Harry's ministry match, the same evening in a small ceremony at the Burrow she'd heard Ginny describe it to her dreamily, followed by Percy and then George. Ron would be tying the knot the coming Friday. Hermione had missed all of the previous weddings though because she was always away on some assignment or another so she didn't know what she was in for today after making her appearance at the Burrow. She smiled at that. Everyone was definitely going to take the mickey out of them for their absence last week. But she wouldn't change it. Not for anything in the world, she blushed.

Oliver walked in just then and groaned inwards at seeing her delicious blush and the red knee length summer dress she was wearing that seemed to be held in place with just two knots tied on both her shoulders. He groaned inwards at her choice of dress, thinking he had a long wait till tonight, and he cursed yet again. Somehow she had even managed to talk him into sending an affirmative to his mother's dinner invite for tonight. So it was Weasley Sunday lunch and Wood family dinner. _Ahh_ he thought wanting to pull at his hair.

They were both dressed and ready, walking to the floo to make their way to the Burrow, but before they stepped in, Oliver caught her by the waist and gave her a scorching kiss, "Just so you know what I'll be thinking about all day long," he threw at her before stepping into the fire and disappearing. She smiled, touched her lips with the tips of her fingers and followed him to the Burrow.

She was greeted by a chorus of "Mrs. Wood" and a lot of wolf-whistling and smiled indulgingly at the discord unfurling in front of her. She was pulled out to the backyard by the other girls and had just enough opportunity to summon a book from a shelf in the den before stepping out. Oliver was already there, talking with the other boys who all teased and winked at her yet again, getting her blush to ride higher, making Oliver want to hit his head in a rhythmic precision on a nearby tree.

"Now that almost all of us are married here, let's talk kids!" Ginny said and Hermione immediately planted her nose in the book. The girls spoke for a bit before Harry came to sit beside Ginny for a drink of water, lying his broom beside him. Ron followed, broom in hand and sat with Alicia, other Weasley boys and Oliver came forth but hung a little back.

"What are you guys talking about for so long? No quidditch today?" Ron asked.

Hermione absolutely did not move a muscle after that, wanting to blend in with the surroundings at the mention of the 'q' word.

"Of course there'll be quidditch! But once we're done talking of babies first" Ginny said. Harry choked, coughing out the water he was trying to chug in thirstily just a second ago. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at his reaction. She did not need to be the focus that conversation at all! Everyone laughed at Harry's reaction. All but one. Ginny. "What? We're having three kids. We'll need to start soon so that I'm young enough to handle them as they grow. Have you not seen the pranks my family pulls? We both will need to be up and running at least for the first 20 years of their lives, you know."

Harry for his part probably zoned out of the conversation after 'three'. "Three? Do we really need three?" he chocked, still coughing. "I know we'd want more, but I think three should be fine. Plus, there'll always be Teddy, so I'm okay with three." His eyes just bulged out at that. _I'm probably gonna make my cheek bleed_ Hermione thought laughing inside, still bent on her book.

"Oh good! Three seems okay, Ginny," Ron nodded as if giving her his permission to do just that. "How many would you like Alicia?" Ron turned to ask, making Alicia go red in the face, a shade most Weasleys were proud she could achieve. "I think one should be enough, if at all," she croaked, as if her throat was suddenly dry.

"What? One? We Weasleys are a fertile lot you know, I don't think we can stop at one," Ron replied as if wanting Alicia to think this through. Hermione so wanted to roll all over the floor at that answer! _That is just so typically Ron! Clueless and pig-headed!_ She bit in harder, cringing at the pain but knowing if she didn't do that, she'd be pulled in this conversation. While Oliver and she had spoken a lot, they had as of yet avoided the bigger topics of discussion, unless they happened upon them by chance and Hermione did not feel that two weeks into a marriage was enough to speak about babies.

"What!" Alicia squeaked like a mouse. "I … I … I …. Don't… We.." and everyone laughed.

"What?" Ron tried again, blunt as a spoon as usual.

"Moving on, to let Alicia breathe and gather her thoughts," Ginny said, "how about you Fleur?"

"I'll think about that once I pop this one out" she said patting her ever-growing tummy lovingly, as Bill smuggled behind her to do the same while kissing her cheek as she used her other arm to play with his hair.

"Fair enough. What about you Angelina, Audrey?" Ginny continued, eyeing the two women sitting right beside her.

"I'd like a house full of kids" Angelina joked with a straight face and George went red and rigid. All the girls hollered with laughter. Hermione included her lip in the bite she continued on her cheek.

 _If she bites herself any harder, she's gonna be drawing out blood soon_ mused Oliver, watching Hermione try really hard to control her laugh and blend in with the house in the background. He wondered where she stood on the topic of number of kids but he didn't worry much about it. Since the past 10 centuries, Woods had only ever had one single male child, and that was that, though he knew he'd keep trying with her till the end of their days if she wanted more. Hell! He'd happily adopt a brood if she felt like it, his parents wouldn't mind, he knew. And he had enough money to raise and provide well for more than two quidditch teams full of kids, his family treasury not counting. He smiled at the thought of having those many kids running all around the estate and driving their mother crazy with worry as they flew high on their brooms and played quidditch at the estate's pitch.

"I'd like about six but I think I'd settle for four if Percy doesn't want those many," Audrey replied, looking at Percy. "Four? Isn't that a little too many?" he asked tentatively. "Hey! You come from a big family, now it's my turn to have one!" she glared at him and he shut up, pursing his lips at the discomforting thought.

All the while Ron was still trying to wrap his head around 'one' while staring at a very red Alicia. "OH come on! One is not even an option! Even the most sensible one of you all wants two!" he tried to reason. Hermione blushed and promptly charmed the broom in his hand to hit his head. "Aww.. What was that for?" he asked rubbing at his head and looking straight at Hermione with narrowed eyes, adding, "You know it was you, so don't deny it. I know all your signature moves."

"That was for opening your mouth when it needed to remain shut!" Hermione threw at him angrily.

"Oh come on! Why are you even trying to hide it? You guys were speaking of babies before I came to sit and you've had their names picked out since you were 12! So why the embarrassment now?" Ron asked flustered.

Hermione flushed red and threw a canary hex his way just as he ducked and Harry deflected it.

"What?! Rose and Hugo are nice names. I'm sure everyone will like them. I do!" he tried again and Hermione was sure she would kill him when she looked up and saw Oliver's eyebrows disappearing in his hair. "RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY, YOU ARE SO DEAD," she screamed and ran after him, chasing him all around the burrow. Harry disarmed her to stop the hexes hissing past Ron when Oliver finally decided to intervene.

He reached her in a few swift strides and held her wrist. "I'M GONNA KILL HIM," she was screaming, her temper lighting a fire in her usually serene eyes. "It's okay lass, let it go. Let him live for today. It's your first day back at the Burrow after our wedding and we wouldn't want anyone to say that I've rubbed off so much on you within two short weeks, now would we?" She glared at him at that and suddenly, _probably realizing how close we're standing_ he mused, she flushed, hiding her eyes.

He smiled at her reaction. "And just for the records," Oliver said, pulling at a stray curl and tucking it behind her ear, "I like Rose and Hugo," he smiled. She flushed scarlet at that, staring holes through the ground. "I must warn you though, Woods usually just have one male child, well at least we've had for the last 10 centuries. But I'd be happy to try for more with you" he added way too huskily for Hermione's comfort. Oliver saw her blushing more furiously than before, eyes darkening with desire as she chanced a glance his way. "Hold that thought for me till tonight and I'll see what we can do about it, okay?" he asked, smile a little strained with the effort he had to put to keep his hands off her, but he still bent down to kiss her, uncaring about the large party he was sure was watching them from somewhere or another.

!

After a long tedious day full of way too many family lunches and dinners for Oliver's liking, they finally got to their place. He held out his hand for her when she stepped out of the floo and promptly picked her up in his arms and carried her to the library, the one place he was yet to have her. He wasn't sure if she'd let him but he wanted to see if he could convince her to let him. With an absolute naughty intent, he put her down close to a bookshelf of the library, facing her away from him. He opened her hair and watched as it fell freely down her shoulders, mesmerized by their natural beauty and bounce.

Pushing her lovely mane towards her right, he nibbled at the sensitive skin between her neck and her left shoulder and asked in a very husky voice, "Do you know what happens to new brides who put their aching husbands through hell all day long, torturing them with way too much company when all they crave is a little solitude with their brides?"

She shook her head. But Oliver saw the small smile playing at her lips. _She planned this!_ _The witch!_ he mused, way too happy with his wife's surprise. "This," he said, tugging at the knots holding her dress. It pooled at her feet and he sucked in a breath. She was now clad only in pearls around her neck and in her ears, two scraps of racy red underthings and high red heels, yet he could've sworn the heels were not high at all when they'd left that morning. Keeping her accessories on, he devested all of his and the remainder of her clothes, not quite patient to do things slowly right now. He perched her hands on the book shelf, getting her to bend forward at just the right angle he needed and in one swift motion he pushed himself in her wet folds. She groaned and sucked in a breath, and he waited for her to familiarize herself to the new feel, while lightly massaging her shoulders and back. After a few moments, he felt her tension slip, so he continued, "And this," and he drove in her, agonizingly slowly at first but picking up pace when he saw her signs of restlessness. He smirked and drove in her at full throttle, loving the sound of their crashing bodies and the feel of her pert breasts swinging in his hands. He held the pose after they crashed, waiting for her to normalize her breathing before turning her around and pecking her on her lips.

"Thank you. I loved the surprise," he muttered against her lips and she flushed.

"How did you….?"

He just kissed her again, picked her up and carried her back to their bed, while she was still wearing her pearls and her heels. _Oh, falling for her is way too easy_ he mused, throwing a crinkling smile her way as he set her down on their bed for the night. He went down on one knee to slip her heels off and then crawled over her to remove her pearls.

"Good night sweetheart," he wished and hugged her close, as they both tangled themselves into a mass of limbs for the night.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16:**

On Monday morning, before leaving for the stadium, Oliver kissed her by the fireplace and made her promise to see him at the pitch before she left for her mission, if called. On Tuesday, she did just that. A much somber Oliver greeted her this time around. "Are Harry and Ron going with you?" he asked concernedly.

"We aren't sure if we'll be back by his wedding so Ron isn't coming along. Harry will be there but he might come back early to set up the last few stages of this one."

He nodded and hugged her flush against him locking her in a tight embrace. "Take care of yourself lass. Know I'll be waiting for you." She nodded and put an arm around his neck, pecked him on his lips and ran off.

"Be safe," he called after her, a little too softly for anyone to hear and waited right there till she disappeared from view and then some more before turning around and flying back to his post. His team teased him mercilessly all through the day about his sappy behavior with his wife, but he didn't care. He was enamored with her, little else mattered to him.

!

That evening when he got home he could not bear to step out of the fireplace. The house looked too dull, too dark, too big, too empty without her tiny little presence. He couldn't bear to sit in his own house, she'd instilled herself in every nook and cranny of it in two short weeks.

As he walked around aimlessly through the empty house, he saw her in her wedding dress, bending worriedly over the teapot in the kitchen.

He saw them talking at the breakfast bar, him with a cup in his hands, her with a smile on her lips, easy banter flowing between them and he cursed himself for missing her rancid tea now; it apparently _had managed_ to grow on him!

He saw her by the large window in their den, lecturing him about the importance of safety while playing his ungodly game as she bent down to dress his wound, blaspheming his stupidity at not getting a healer to dress it for him.

He saw them sitting on the couch opposite the fireplace, with his head in her lap as she tried to explain, very animatedly, a new _interesting_ piece of information she had just read from the book now perched upside down on his chest, her fingers still holding its bind to save the page.

He saw her sprawled under him in his indoor gym as he did his push-ups, kissing her every time he came down while her laughter rolled over him like honey.

He saw them sitting on her armchair in her library, their legs stretched out on the tiny ottoman in front of it, with her on his lap, back pressed into him, settling comfortably and studying for her NEWTs while he laid his head back, eyes closed, exhausted from the day's practice.

He saw her in the attic, scolding him about the _random crap_ he had hoarded over the years, making him promise to look through it all to rid them of the stuff they didn't need by auctioning it out and donating the money to charity.

He saw her chasing Mini all around the three guestrooms and the other spare rooms, reasoning out passionately as she tried to help her with her chores.

He saw her everywhere and yet craved more than ever to see her right then, right there. _If this continues, I'm gonna pull all my hair off and go mad before the poor girl's back,_ he thought to himself and stepped back into the fireplace to visit his parents, trying to take his mind off things.

!

His mother was ecstatic to see him twice in a span of two days and said as much, before stopping mid-welcome and asking what was wrong. He just shrugged and got out of the fireplace. His father came straight to the point, as always, and asked about Hermione's absence. "She's out on a mission," he replied and that was all he spoke almost through the entire evening. He sat quietly through dinner, throwing fugitive glances at the seat beside him, the one Hermione had taken both the times she'd gone to Wood Manor with him and he groaned inside. She was like a ghostly presence, tagging along everywhere he went and it had just been 2 weeks since their wedding! _If this continues, I'll either be at Mungo's or trying my darnedest best to convince her to take a job locally after her NEWTs,_ he thought darkly, scowling at his food.

 _He sure has it bad_ his father thought amused, laughing indulgently at his only son who looked like a love-sick puppy scowling at his food and trying very badly to not stare at Hermione's vacant chair. "Wonder when he'll realize it and speak to her," he whispered to his wife, eyes lit up with mirth.

!

The whole of Oliver's week had been the same. He'd even gone to Ron's wedding, on Friday night, alone, hating being there without her, but knowing he had to make an appearance. He had hoped to have a word with Harry but he hadn't returned either, so he knew she wouldn't be back anytime soon, Harry was to return earlier after all. He danced once with the bride, once with Ginny and once with his mum and then left early. The whole of the next day, he went through all his stuff in the attic and sorted it out, piling what he wanted to keep and give away by two separate walls. Looking around, after his work he smiled, _she'll be proud of me_ he thought and then chided himself for that very thought!

Sunday he spent maintaining his brooms. Thankfully that was a task difficult enough to engage his attention and he had a collection large enough to occupy the entire day. He chose a broom for Hermione to fly on, extending its safety spells and cushioning charms to its limits. Polishing its wood to match her eyes to their shade he loved the most. He miniaturized it and kept it with his own miniaturized broom in the big glass bowl in his wardrobe where he stored his wallet and all the other little paraphernalia that meant the most to him.

On Tuesday evening he walked in on the most pleasant sight. Curled up on their bed was Hermione! He was by her side in a heartbeat, grinning like a fool. He quickly scanned her face and the visible parts of her body for signs of cuts or wounds but found none. Then he looked all around the house for the status letter. Not finding it anywhere, he spelled changed her clothes to her favorite night wear and went back to the sitting room to floo call Ginny.

"Ginny, there's no status letter," he informed her, after exchanging pleasantries and telling her that Hermione was back.

"Oh," he saw her furrow her brows and then give a knowing nod. "May be she apparated back to your place. If they are strong enough to apparate, the ministry just assumes they are strong enough to care for themselves too and doesn't bother with the letters then. But I must warn you, she will probably sleep for the next two days straight," Ginny finished.

Oliver smiled and nodded. She was here, that was all that mattered to him. She could sleep the remainder of the week, he did not care. He finished the call and happily made his way to the little kitchen table for dinner and then snuggled her close to him at night, hugging her tight, welcoming her back home in that quiet way.

In the morning, he left her a cup of tea with a heat charm on it by their bedside table along with a small vial of pepper up potion, should she need one. He found the tray untouched when he returned, but he did the same the next day morning again before leaving for work. That evening she welcomed him by the fireplace and he brought her in to him immediately, holding her tightly close. _Please don't leave again. I go mad without you_ he said in his mind while they both discussed their day with each other as he happily sipped her rancid tea, he'd missed it almost as much as he'd missed her he realized and laughed at his pathetic state internally.

"Oliver, I know this is not what you want to hear right now, but I have to leave again tomorrow. It's a short trip this time though. Just a few more hectic weeks and then I'll resign from this in October and start studying for my NEWTs. So I'll be home from then till my results come in around Christmas and then we'll take it from there, depending on my scores."

He sniggered at that. "You're gonna get all 'O's lass, you might as well start thinking of what you'd like to pursue further." _Just please pick anything that will keep you in close vicinity, that's all I'm asking. Even a job as hectic as a healer's will do but stay around here. Let me at least see you once every day_ he pleaded in his head. "And I'll miss you too much when you're gone but it's necessary, so I'll make my peace with it. Just stay safe and come back to me as quick as you can, alright?"

She gave him a half smile and nodded. "Thank you. I'll leave very early tomorrow so can we make it an early night?"

"As you wish love," he said and walked up to her chair, picking her up and going straight to their bedroom. He made sure he didn't come down too demanding on her that night, knowing she'd need her strength for the next few days. Promising himself he'll make her forget her missions when he got her next time around, he gathered her in his arms and slept.

He woke up in the small hours of the morning to kiss her goodbye by the fireplace as she flooed to the ministry and then walked back to bed, bracing himself for the ordeal of the next few days.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17:**

On the weekend right after Hermione left, Oliver wondered what he'd done with all his spare time before meeting her!

On the second Saturday after she had left for her _short trip,_ Oliver found himself worried sick about her. So he floo called Ginny, not knowing what else to do. She immediately pulled him over at her place, explaining that not just was Hermione safe, she was right there at her house. She had fallen out of the floo two nights back she explained. Before he could wrap his mind around that and pick that particular bone with Ginny about not bothering to inform him about his wife's arrival, they heard a faint muffle.

"Ginny, are you there?" a soft voice called from the room just beyond the dining area.

"Mione, you up?" Ginny questioned, still sitting at the table with Oliver.

Oliver heaved a sigh of relief at the sound of her muffled voice. She was here, she was fine and he'd finally see her in a bit. He was happy, his intended fight with Ginny forgotten.

"Yeah…. One question though…. Why am I _up here_? I mean why am I not back at Oliver's place?"

Ginny creased her nose at that. "Honestly, no idea. You crawled out the fireplace at 2 the night before last. Even Harry came in late so we were up and came down to check. We put you to bed then."

"Okay.. Moving on.. Since I'm here, I'll just freshen up here and then leave, is that alright?"

"Of course! You don't need to ask Mione."

That was followed by some muffled sounds of scuffling around. Suddenly, Ginny's eyes sparked with mischief and Oliver knew whatever was coming their way was not gonna be appreciated by either him or his wife or them both.

"Hey Mione, since Harry's at work, may be could have a nice girl's chat of ours. It's been ages since we've had one of those."

"Uh hum… it has, hasn't it? So tell me, how are things going with Harry?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at that. "Mione the whole of wizarding Britain knows how my things are going with Harry. What we don't know is how our golden girl is doing with the ultimate and previously the most eligible bachelor in the UK, armed with a smile to kill."

Oliver's ears piqued up at that. He knew he shouldn't be doing it, but well, who could resist such an opportunity? _And none of this is my doing anyway,_ he reasoned. So he just cocked his brow at Ginny as a silent rebuke and stayed mum to hear her reply.

"We're alright I guess."

Ginny pouted. "Come one give me more."

Hermione laughed. "What do you want to know Ginny? Are we alright? Yes, we are, seeing as we haven't killed each other yet," she laughed at her own joke. "He just… he's different now, you know. I don't know… I mean from what I read about him in the papers and those stupid witch weekly magazines of yours, he seemed to be having a temper to rival my own but he isn't that way with me. Well, most times at least, it's only when he won't give up on those damned flying lessons that we come close to hexing each other to oblivion! Otherwise he's more of the Oliver we've heard about from Hogwarts, you remember the one who tried to drown himself in the shower after Cedric caught the snitch back in my third year." _She laughed at that image quite heartily_ Oliver thought amused. "May be its just the adrenaline rush during or after the games that gets him so worked up, he's otherwise pretty easy to hang out with, talk with, you know."

Ginny was giving a very knowing smile to Oliver just then, when Hermione again spoke from her room, "Ginny I'm just gonna hop in the shower now. We'll talk once I'm out. I'm ravenously hungry, do we have something to eat?"

"Yes, I've got the breakfast going, you come out and then we can eat."

"Great! I'll come out and get the tea going."

Ginny stiffened at that. "NO! No way. Like hell I'd have that ruddy concoction."

"Hey!" she screamed right back, "I resent that. I make it every day for Oliver and he does not complain. I think I'm getting rather better at it, cause trust me Oliver is not one to keep his opinions to himself."

"Hey you aren't throwing me any so I ain't not got to put up with that crap. And I bet you're blowing him under the table to make sure he finishes that thing you call t…"

"GINNY!" Hermione screeched and went silent! Oliver turned red in the face, refusing to even look at the ginger seated beside him.

"He.. I… Oh Merlin! I'll never be able to look at Oliver the same way again!" Hermione's faint mumbles could be heard.

"Why? You've been married for more than a month now. Don't tell me you haven't yet…" Ginny trailed off after seeing Oliver's stiff posture and Hermione's sudden silence. _Oops!_ she thought.

"But… then…. What _do_ you guys _do_ then?" Ginny asked, now thoroughly confused, forgetting that the guy she was asking Hermione to describe her nocturnal activities with, was sitting right there beside her!

"I.. We.. Well.. You know… We.. uhm.. talk…."

Ginny snorted at that. "Yeah sure. Month long talks, with a hunk like that no less."

"No I mean… we… well… he's… he's very…. creative…. he probably has…. some… lots… of experience, I think," Hermione stammered and Ginny's brows disappeared in her hair, probably still forgetting the 6 footer beside her! And the 6 footer for his part sat smugly in his chair, way too pleased with himself just then.

"Wow!" Ginny fumbled, still lost in thought, "It's just so…. Wow.. for once I don't know what to say…"

"Yeah I know what you mean…. You know, sometimes I just feel bad for him…" before Oliver could process that, she started again, "It's just.. Ginny he's gorgeous! He's smoking hot, drop dead handsome, Merlin's own creation of perfection of mankind, a man specifically designed to reduce womenkind to a blubbering mass of nerves at his feet, take your pick," and Oliver felt way too happy at that too, now knowing his wife liked his body. "And then there's me. Of all the women he should have been able to pick from, he's stuck with me! He deserves so much more, Ginny. He is sweet, caring, loving, kind, understanding, passionate… He… he should've had his chance at a woman as beautiful as him, someone who would share his passion, his love for that god forsaken game he is giving his life to, someone who can cook him nice hot meals, someone who will enjoy flying with him, someone…" and Oliver had heard enough! He stood up and barged towards her room, pushing the door open.

"That's enough lass. We need to lea.." he froze. She was bent over the bed, back towards the door, wearing extremely short shorts and a Gryffindor quidditch jersey that said Weasley at the back. She turned to look at him and went rigid too. "Wh.. what are you doing here?" she finally asked after finding her voice.

"I was worried so I came asking for some information about your whereabouts and was told that you were right here. Come, let's leave Hermione. I've barely slept the last few days and I'm tired and I'm sure so are you," he said, standing by the door folding his hands over his chest, not trusting himself around her at the moment.

"But.. but I… she played me… you heard…" she mumbled, now pointing fingers between him and the room behind.

"Yes, she did and yes, I did. And I'm glad I did. I must be doing something wrong if you doubt yourself so much. Hermione, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'll readily spend my entire life to prove that to you. Now, can we please leave. Seeing you bent over like that is not doing any favors to my peace of mind right now," he said, forgetting for the time that they weren't alone. But Ginny did not hear, she had stepped into the kitchen to give them privacy for the showdown she was expecting to unfold just then.

Hermione stood frozen at that yet again.

Oliver ran a furious hand through his hair and looked intently at her, his eyes a dark pool. "Lass, if you don't want me to roger you right there where you're standing, start walking. Merlin knows, its either that or a quick way for me to burn out right now." She still remained where she was, brows furrowed as if thinking through something and then ran towards him, jumping into his arms, locking her ankles at his waist, hands entangled in his hair and kissing him with fervor. "Ginny we're leaving. I'll return your clothes next time. Thanks again," Hermione screamed for Ginny and apparated them both out to their place with a loud crack.

Once back at their own place, Oliver pulled her in closer, supporting her stance with a hand under her cute ass as he fisted his other hand in her hair bringing her closer for a deeper kiss and then alternately used it to repeatedly run it up and down her back.

"These are Ginny's?" he asked pulling at the hem of the jersey she was wearing, when they came up for air. Hermione nodded, bringing him in for a kiss again. _Damn._ He really wanted to rip it off her. Placing her on the nearest surface, the kitchen counter, he shrugged her out of Ginny's clothes and was shocked to see she wore nothing inside.

"Fuck Hermione," he growled pulling her back in for a kiss with a new urgency, devouring her mouth, hands on breast before moving down south to check for her readiness to take him in. _Oh she is wet!_ Her feel around his fingers jolted straight to his center and he shoved off his jeans and boxers, as Hermione pulled at his t-shirt, nibbling at whatever skin of his she could find. Keeping her right there, sitting on the kitchen counter, he shoved himself straight in her core, locking her hands behind her, leaning them on the counter, he spoke in a gruff, aroused voice, "This is going to be hard and rough, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Let me know if you don't, okay?" She lifted her legs and locked them at his waist urging him on as a reply. He gave a devilish smirk at that and began a fast, demanding rhythm as he crashed his lips to hers and swallowed all her cries of pleasure, not letting her go even for a moment. He continued the kiss long after they'd both come down from their high, altering its hardness, making it slower, more languid and easy, as they both fought to regain their breaths, yet neither broke the kiss. Finally, too deprived for breath, they came up for air, chests heaving heavily when Oliver touched his forehead to hers and still had himself embedded deep within her, her walls still clutching him, milking him in even now.

"You're back! I was wondering when you'd get home," he whispered tenderly, albeit a bit breathlessly, her words from his first day back from work that first Monday after their wedding, while lovingly rubbing his thumb against the apple of her right cheek. "How was your trip dear? Everything worked all right?" he asked, still looking down into her eyes. She'd not quite caught her breath yet but he saw her eyes change their color from almost black to liquid caramel. "I think I'm just gonna sit here looking stumped while you keep guessing at all the things that might have gone wrong with me," she replied breathlessly and then threw her head back and laughed. _Now there's life back in the house,_ he smiled.

!

He invested his Saturday in her – talking, listening, playing, reading and walking around the different paths at their estate, immersing himself in her company. In the evening he took her out flying on his best broom to watch the sunset over the hills. She tried to strike out more deals with him and then gave up and buried her face in his chest, crumping his t-shirt's collar. He smiled fondly at the familiar action and kissed her to make her look up and then they ended up kissing all through the sunset when she returned his kisses. They didn't even make it back to the house after that. He flew them down to an alcove near the stream that ran through the estate. They reached their house hours later, walking together with hands nestling on each-others backs, heads resting a little on one another.

On Sunday, she did not say a word about going to the Burrow and he did not ask, not ready to share her with any one so soon. By Sunday afternoon he noticed her sending subtle glares his way. He let it slip the first few times, perplexed about her mood. Finally, in the evening when he was nursing his tea, she skipped the subtly and started glaring openly at him.

"What?!" he asked flippantly, flustered at her behavior while replaying their two short days together in his mind to check if he'd done something wrong. He came up empty.

"Don't you dare 'what' me! You know exactly what is happening," she threw at him angrily.

Thoroughly confused, he pinned her with his angry gaze, "Do you care to explain?"

"The question here is Oliver - do _you_ care to explain? Or do I need to go to Flourish and Bolts?"

 _Flourish and Bolts?_ "What are you on about?" he was so at the end of his teethers!

"You know what I'm on about! You sat through the entire conversation pretty silently yesterday. Now tell me, are you going to teach me or do I need to go buy books to learn it?"

"Again, rein in those damn thoughts of yours and get explaining lass."

"Oliver," she fixed him with a pointed gaze and then moved it south staring meaningfully at his crotch and then brought it up again, hands folded in front of her chest, bringing her breast heaving forward, stretching the soft material of her t-shirt. "Now, tell me, are you going to teach me or not?"

He was confused for all of 30 seconds before comprehension hit him and turned him into a stammering mess. "You… you mean.. you want to…..? Really?"

"What do you think? You know I want to! We always try everything I read or hear! Now tell me - what am I to do with you?"

He sat frozen, for once unsure how to go about things. "You really want to?" he asked her huskily.

She nodded. "Will you tell me what to do? I don't know…much," she replied, looking up at him shyly, hooding her eyes almost immediately.

 _I'm married to a dynamite!_ he realized dazedly, still staring at her, thanking the ministry yet again for blessing him with her. "Come on Oliver, please. Don't make me beg."

That brought him out of his stupor. "You're just….amazing, you know that," he said pulling her onto his lap. She stayed there for a few moments, enjoying having him all around her but then she got off and pulled at his hand leading him near the fireplace and pushed him on the couch across it, devesting him in the process. She knelt on the floor in front of him, placing an arm across his thighs and then tucking her head on it as she drew soft patterns on the thigh she was facing.

 _She's waiting for me to come to my senses,_ he realized. "You don't have to do this you know, I don't mind," he whispered gruffly.

She still continued with her patterns, "I…. I really want to." Then with a little more confidence, "I want to taste you Oliver."

He fisted his hands to his sides and spent the next 10 minutes explaining to her exactly how to do what and what he liked most. She learned real quick and had him groaning and panting her name and coming in no time. He closed his eyes as he came, laying his head on the couch's head rest, fisting a hand in her hair, gently massaging her scalp with his thumb. She still held him firmly in her hands. "I wonder how… how you taste..." he heard her whisper and suddenly she was bent on him, licking him clean. He growled at that and brought her up to him. "You're gonna kill me someday, you know that?" he huffed gruffly and brought her mouth to his, tasting him on her, sniffing himself on her. He rolled her on the couch beside him, devesting her and brought his tongue to her core, holding her legs high up in the air as he hungrily lapped her up, nibbling and biting her tender folds and her sensitive nub as she came. "Oliver.." she gasped and tugged at his hair, pulling him in for a kiss. She enfolded him in a hug and they stayed like that on the couch for a long time.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18:**

The next two days passed in a blur. Oliver had signed in with the England team the previous week and everyone was riding his back. His Puddlemere coach was straining them to the limits and all his break times were spent with the national team and their staff, ironing out details after details. The only saving grace of his entire day was Hermione. She was home and they were both happy to be with each other. He came back home battered everyday but her smile rejuvenated him instantly. He wondered if she knew the magic she was working on him.

On Wednesday morning, she hadn't woken up by the time he had to leave. He looked lovingly at her naked form sprawled all over the bed, entangled in the sheets, smugly smiling his crinkled smile, _I sure tired her out last night._ He kissed her forehead and left for the stadium.

When he stepped out of the fire place in the evening, he knew there was something wrong. The house was plunged in darkness and he saw her silhouetted form sitting by the window in the den, hugging her knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her knees, looking absently out the window. She didn't even hear him call her name out. That worried him. He'd never seen her so dejected before. He knelt down on the floor beside her, taking her hand in one of his, shielding her eyes with the other as he flicked his wand to switch on the lights. She shut her eyes off for a bit and then slowly opened them. _Cloudy and murky. Tormented and sad. Usually about her parents._ He held her gaze, rubbing his thumb on her cheek, "What's the matter lass? Did you hear something about your parents today?" he asked her softly.

She broke down at their mention, buried her face in his chest and cried. He just held her there and rubbed her back. Minutes passed or hours, neither knew. She finally pulled herself together and looked up at him with a tear stained face and red eyes, his gut twisting at the sight, "It's… it's their anniversary today," she sniffled. His eyes widened, making a mental note to mark the date for the following years. "Come here," he brought her back in his embrace, thinking of ways to wipe that devastated look off her face. And suddenly he knew what he had to do. He took in a deep breath and spell changed them both, washing up her face for her in the process. "Come, let's go," he tugged at her and apparated them back to the same alley from their first date. He held her close as they walked much the same way she had taken them so many weeks back, but she didn't register it, still too lost in her own thoughts.

She jerked to a sudden halt when she saw the big white wheel in front of her, eyes popped wide. He saw her expression and half smiled, "Come, let's get on it," he pulled at her hand but she did not budge. He furrowed his brows and came back to her, "What's the matter lass? Don't you want to go up on it tonight?" He knew she did it with her parents on their anniversary each year, she had told him as much, but maybe she did not want to share that special ride with him tonight, he thought a little crestfallen. She just shook her head, as if still in a daze, staring wide eyed at The Eye.

"No, it's not that. I want to, I really do," she replied, confusing him furthermore, "but I don't have my wallet on me."

He felt as if she'd slapped him hard across his face. " **Woman!** **I am your wallet!** Now, do you want to do this or not?"

"Oliver really, you're just so daft sometimes! I don't have any money on me and this is a muggle establishment, your money is useless here," she explained a little haughtily as if he was stupid to not have worked that out for himself.

"I HAVE MUGGLE MONEY, YOU DAFT WOMAN! NOW, I ASK AGAIN, DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS OR JUST STAND HERE AND GRATE MY NERVES SOME MORE?" he rattled, glaring at her.

She turned and gave him an oddly curious look, mouth open enough to let a swarm of flies in. "Since when did you start carrying muggle money?"

He relaxed at that. "Since the day after my nut of a ministry intended took me to the muggle side of the town and paid for us all through the day. I changed some at Gringotts the next day before coming to the Burrow. I wanted to be prepared for it if the silly girl's coffee mood struck again," he shrugged, mischief in his smile. "And I'm not going to ask you again, do you want to…hhmm"

She pulled him down by his collar, rising herself on her toes, bringing him down for a kiss, square on his lips before lighting up with happiness, "Yes please. I really do. Shall we?" He just nodded, engulfing her small hand in his larger one as they made their way to the ticket booth.

When their bubble was on the top, Oliver turned her away from the glass and kissed her, just like she'd said her parents used to and he felt her melt into him, a single tear rolling down her eye. He swiped at it with his thumb, touched his forehead with hers and spoke, "Don't cry love, it's a happy day that needs to be celebrated. It's the one that made you, and I for one can only be indebted to it for that."

She hugged him close and sniffled on his chest, "You're the best Oliver, you know that?" She pecked him on the lips again, wiped at her face with her hands and then their evening started. She took him all around, pointing all the different places she had visited on all her childhood trips and Oliver took it all in, storing the information away for future reference.

Just when they were stepping out of the restaurant they'd dined in, he heard a familiar voice call out his name. "Ollie! Oh don't tell me you're also a frequent visitor to the muggle side!" Tatyana exclaimed right behind him.

He turned around and returned her greeting, hand still holding Hermione's as he introduced them both. They chatted on for a bit and then left, Tatyana hugging him close once again for a little too long as he bristled at the closeness, and she promised to see him at lunch the next day, before throwing a calculating glance at Hermione and sauntering off. Hermione noticed that Oliver did not bother to turn to see her go this time and just continued on with her instead, finding an empty alleyway to apparate them both back home.

"Oliver, why were you being so dismissal of Tatyana? She's really the perfect woman for you to settle with, you know. You shouldn't be so flippant about her." And Oliver groaned inside. He did not need a fight about that tonight. So he just ignored her words, acting too busy for his own good and apparated them back with a loud crack.

!

Later that night, after she could hear Oliver's deep breaths, Hermione got out of the bed, wrapping herself in a spare sheet, walking to the large window in their bedroom. She hated herself right now. She'd been so happy with Oliver that she'd forgotten the promise she'd made to him on their first date. Seeing Tatyana today had felt like an ice bucket emptied right on her head to Hermione. _When did I become so selfish,_ she thought darkly. Oliver was going out of his way to keep her happy, to make her feel wanted and she was holding on to that politeness and ruining his life. _Not any more_ she scolded herself. She had to plan and put it in action asap!

She stood there in the darkness, plotting her course of action when Oliver held her lovingly from behind. "I'm sure they're fine lass. I'm sure they're happy. And if and when you go speak to them, they're gonna be ecstatic and hug you crushingly, firmly planting you back in their lives and I'm going to be hitting the roof again about having yet more family that I'll have to share you with." She laughed at that image, turning to lock her arms around his neck. "Really? Is that how you feel about all our Sunday fiestas?" she teased.

He muttered something dark and unpleasant about just that, adding that the few minutes with her on the broom were the only plus point of his entire holiday.

"Come now, let's sleep. It's getting late," he whispered seductively in her ear, tugging at her sheets and tossing them carelessly on the floor as he pushed her hips up, getting her to lock her ankles at his waist just as she locked her arms around his neck and carrying her back to their bed. His purposeful strides leaving neither in any doubt that _sleeping_ was not happening any time soon.

Hermione laughed again and got busy nibbling at his jaw, promising to enjoy all her time with him, knowing she'd just have these memories for her life after he'd move out of it. She'd make it right for him. She knew she owed him that. And she got busy with Oliver, with him making sure she'd think no more for a very long time.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19:**

The next afternoon, Hermione flooed over to the Puddlemere Stadium, wearing Oliver's jersey, just before his lunch break. She was looking up in the sky, trying to identify her husband from the flying blurs and so she missed the blonde almost behind her staring daggers through her head. When the coach signaled for them to come down, one by one, they all zoomed in and Hermione waited patiently for Oliver to come down. Just as he did, she heard the same voice from last night call him, "Ollie dear, I must say that was just superb. The way you blocked that…" and she moved in very close to him, pulling him in for a hug and he stiffened, turning every which way to get out of the hug. And that's when he saw her.

"What are you doing here lass? Are you about to leave again?" he asked, voice concerned, immediately walking towards her, leaving the blonde standing behind speechless.

Hermione creased her nose at her own intrusion but she figured she was there already so there was nothing else she could do. "I.. No, I'm not. I actually came to share some lunch with you, if you have the time that is. As a… as a thank you for last night. I.. hhmm"

And he was kissing her, right there in front of his entire team! "You came to see me? For lunch?" he asked, eyes lit with happiness. And then he looked at her. Really looked at her. "And you're wearing my jersey!" he exclaimed way too happy for a normal Thursday afternoon, getting her in for a kiss again.

To say she was shocked with his reaction was an understatement! "Yes. I mean you had asked me to wear it again before returning it to you and I'd like to have lunch with you, if you have the time of course."

"Of course I have the time. If I didn't, I'd make time for you love!" And he kissed her again, happy beyond words. It was all the cat calling and the wolf whistling he received from his team that made him break the kiss at long last. _Later_ his eyes promised her and she blushed, looking down.

"I got lunch," she said, pulling out well packed containers from her beaded purse. Oliver just cocked his brow at the number of items she pulled out from that tiny thing!

"It's enchanted," she explained on seeing his look.

"Really? I'd never have guessed," he laughed.

"Ollie dear," Tatyana interrupted, but before she could finish her sentence he cut her. "I'm entitled to a decent lunch break Tatyana! Can I please eat in peace. I'll have a look at the contract and sign it before I leave today, I promise. Now if you don't mind, could I please enjoy some time with my wife?" and giving her no scope of rebuke, he tugged at Hermione's hand and sat her by the edge of the family box, summoning all the food to them.

"So, did you spend all morning bent on the stove for this?" he asked, wondering if he could offer it to his team or not. "No, Mini cooked it all. I just baked the cake." He nodded. So he'd share everything else but the dessert. That worked. Before he could tell her about his intentions, Pollock walked up to them saying, "Cake? Did I hear cake?"

Oliver bit his inner cheek to keep from replying and Hermione answered instead, "Yes, you did. Would you like to share some lunch with us? We've got plenty," she said eyeing all the food laid out in front of them.

"Need you ask? Of course we'd love that." And then he turned, "Guys, free food," he shouted at the team and they were all soon drowned out by them. _So much for a few quiet minutes!_ Oliver thought darkly but played along. He'd given them all a hard time when their spouses had come, they were only returning the favor after all!

"Free food and the company of a lovely lady. Hermione Granger, no less! Only a fool would turn it down," Creevey said, sitting right between Pollock and Hermione.

"That's Wood for you Creevey. Mrs. Hermione Wood!" Oliver bitingly replied, eyes still sparkling with mirth. He saw Hermione discreetly point her wand at all the containers before putting it back in, but he thought he'd ask her about it later.

Hermione for her part, even waved Tatyana over and got her to join in the lunch festivities.

"Where did the cake go?" Pollock asked searching the spread. And Oliver glared at him before handing him the big square container he had hidden behind himself, eyes shining with threat, daring him to say anything bad about it. Pollock saw that, wondering what had gone wrong suddenly and then he bit into the cake and he knew. He immediately passed the container around and Oliver pinned every single one of them with a threat in his eyes, as clear as day, promising retribution with a vengeance if they so much cocked a brow at the first thing his wife had ever made for him, tea aside.

"I don't do sugar and neither should you all," Tatyana scolded when the box was given to her.

 _Thank Merlin_ Oliver thought. He did not need her candidness just then!

"So, uhm, have you cooked the meal too?" Pollock asked Hermione, suddenly repenting asking about the cake at all.

"No. Just the cake. The meal was done by Mini, Oliver's family elf."

Oliver could feel the relief in the air as he looked at them all. Everyone smiling tightly back at him.

"So Captain, have you ever cooked for the missus then?"

"You cook?" Hermione jumped at that.

He shrugged, "Only when I have to."

"Oh you're so cooking for me sometime. And soon!"

He crinkled at her, eyes going all soft, "Whenever you say lass."

And just like that, every man sitting there knew, their captain was a goner. He was besotted with his wife! They all laughed and made sure he knew that he would be ground out once they were out of earshot of the missus.

Hermione noticed all the silent communication between the team but couldn't decipher it, so she just went back to eating. Once everyone was almost done, she quickly ended the bottomless charm she'd placed on the food and started packing the empty containers. Oliver saw her move and cocked his brow and she winked her reply. He smirked. _Woman has sense._

The coach signaled the end of their break and everyone geared up to fly out. Tatyana again shoved a heap of papers at Oliver and just when he was about to snap, Hermione spoke, "What is it Oliver?"

"Nothing. The ministry officials voted for me to captain the national team for the next world cup. I need to have a look at these papers and sign them to finalize everything."

"Yes, and I need them today!" Tatyana bit back, angry about being left in the background all through lunch.

"That's great news Oliver. Congratulations!" she hugged him before continuing, "If you… I mean.. I can look at them if it's alright with you," she offered Oliver. "Just give me the details and I'll go over the contract. I'll let you know once I'm done. You can fly in and sign it after that."

"You'd do that? For me?" Oliver questioned, a little too happy with the offer.

"Well, if you trust me to, I'd be honored."

He laughed at that, saying "I'd never get anyone better than you Hermione," and he kissed her again. He then pulled the contract out of Tatyana's hands and gave it to Hermione, quickly bringing her up to speed with the negotiations till date and he made Tatyana pass her the minutes of all their previous meetings and he pecked Hermione on the lips yet again before flying off. "Thanks lass," he waved and off he dashed.

Hermione made herself comfortable on a few of the seats in the family box, removed her travel stationary kit from the bag, one she kept there for just such emergencies, and drowned herself in all the papers she was handed. It took a good five hours for her to come back out of it again, glancing up at the sky every once in a while to check for Oliver before dipping her nose in the papers again.

Oliver saw her doing just that from above and smiled contently. _No wonder Harry would drag her down to the pitch for all of their practices. There's just something so comforting about knowing she's watching out for you,_ he thought and smiled again, taking a bludger to his arm for being distracted. "Head in the game Captain," they teased and he growled at his laughing team and went back with vengeance making sure to get them when he threw the quaffle back at them, while guarding his post.

They surrounded him when they were making their way down after their day, making extremely lewd comments for his peace of mind but he knew he'd have to let them. That was how it was whenever someone's girl came for the first time. "So Captain, is the missus at least good in the deed?" "Her cooking is as abysmal as her flying is believed to be." "Tell us, is she as feisty as everyone says she is?"

"You have no idea," Oliver clucked complete with a naughty wink at all their teasing and went straight for her at the box.

She had everything sorted for him when he got there. Complete with color codes to help him understand the points, cross-referencing them from the minutes she was handed. Not that he had expected anything else from her.

"Now that's Hermione Granger at work, I'd say," Pollock called from behind. And she grinned at him, saying, "Everyone has their fortes."

"And its Wood, you wonker" Oliver called, laughingly.

"This is all very impressive Mrs. Wood. Maybe I should cook for you tonight and surprise you with a date night as a thank you," Oliver said, happiness and mischief etched as clear as day on his face.

She laughed, eyes all caramel, "It's not a surprise when you tell me that, Mr. Wood."

"Ah, but you don't know what I'd dish out, now, do you?" he asked taking a step closer to her, rubbing his nose to hers, voice way too suggestive for Hermione's comfort and she blushed. He laughed, rubbing her cheek with his thumb, eyes speaking way too much for her peace of mind, before he bent his head and kissed her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20:**

That evening Oliver surprised her with a dessert in their bed. "It's my signature dish – chocolate soufflé."

"Hhmm.. looks yum! But you didn't get any spoons," she laughed, putting her book down on the bedside table. "Wait I'll summon them," she said, turning to get her wand.

"Who said we'd need spoons lass?" he queried in return, brow cocked seductively. He crooked his finger in the dessert bowl and spread the dessert on her forearm, following his finger's movements with his tongue and teeth.

"Ahh… Oliver…" she gasped as he went on to show her exactly why he had chosen to make that particular dessert for her that night….

!

Being with Oliver was turning into one big pleasant dream for Hermione, but she knew all dreams had to stop, we had to wake up to reality at long last. Seeing him distancing himself from Tatyana, Hermione had gotten worried. _If I leave it for too long, he'll never consider her again,_ she reasoned and plucked at every shred of her courage to speak with him. She hadn't found a good chance to talk to him through the day, so she figured she'd best get it done right away, lest she keep pushing it and then it becomes too late "Oliver…"

"Uhm… love…" he said from where he'd just crashed on her chest, still catching his breath.

"Would you go out for dinner?"

He perked up at that. "Absolutely. I still owe you our second date! Anywhere you wish lass. Tell me and I'll make the reservations. When would you like to go?" he asked turning his face up to look at her, beaming happily. He'd love to take her out any day!

"Not with me Oliver."

He stiffened at that. The sheer shock making him go all rigid on her.

"Oliver we.. It's just that… You.. you need to understand this.. You need to have someone who understands you, who shares your interests…" she tried, while softly caressing his hair.

He pushed himself up on his arms, fixing her with a pointed glare.

"Don't look at me like that Oliver. It's what's best for you. You need someone like Tatyana to…."

And he saw red! His rage pumping all through him. _How dare she throw another woman's name at me, in our bed no less. When not 10 seconds back we were just…..? I'm still sheathed in her!_ He glowered at her letting all his anger show in his eyes. "Do you even understand the position we are locked in right now?" he questioned bitingly moving himself in her, as if trying to remind her what she was talking, with whom and when!

" **You're my wife Hermione!** Why is it so difficult for you to comprehend that? I don't want anyone else. I don't need anyone else. I want you, just you, just the way you are." And then he added a little softly, "We'll work it all out together, whatever messed-up issues you are facing, all your insecurities, we'll talk them out but just stop trying to tell me what you think I need in a woman; you've been doing that since we first met!" He took in a small halting breath and added a little more softly than before.

"I don't need any of that lass. I just need _you_ , only you. You're my undoing, and that's that for me. I'm not going anywhere else, however hard you push me. I don't know how long you'll take to understand something as simple as that but I'm not letting you go, not unless you come look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing for me whatsoever. And I know that's not the case. I can feel it all in your touches and your kisses, so can we please for Merlin's sake drop the damned issue already?"

She nodded meekly and Oliver knew it was far from shut. He simply rolled off her and laid down beside her, waiting to see if she would come to him like she did every night.

She didn't.

 _And all this on the day I thought she was finally getting around to like me too!_ But he knew now was not the time to lick his wounds on that one, he had bigger battles to fight and he turned towards her, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "I will always pull you back lass. I won't let you throw me away. I won't let you ruin what we have here. This is us Hermione, this is how we are meant to be. I don't know why you refuse to understand this but …." he just turned her around and hugged her closer, burying her head in his chest, not giving an inch when she tried to pull away. _I'll stay awake the whole night if I have to but I won't let you pull away from me,_ he promised.

!

For the first time since their wedding, Hermione walked out of their room without so much as a backward glance at Oliver. It was then that he knew he had to resolve the issue immediately or it was gonna break them apart. So that day, for the first time ever, Oliver Wood took a day off from quidditch.

To say Hermione was perplexed was putting it mildly. "Why aren't you going in for your practice today?"

"Why? I am not entitled to a day off when my life is falling apart by my ears?" he asked her furiously.

He spent the entire morning and then the afternoon trying to reason out with her but her thoughts remained firmly in place. Finally by the evening, Oliver's patience ran thin and temper high and he stomped his way out of the house.

She saw him sitting in the backyard, going through some stuff in a glass bowl, lost to the world. She couldn't stand seeing the defeated stance of his posture anymore so she went and sat beside him. Just leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I found this in your hands when you came back from your mission, three days before our wedding," he said handing over a torn piece of parchment to her. She remembered writing that letter but she'd thought that was a dream.

"The tickets to London Eye, when we went there for your parents anniversary," and he handed them to her. "I thought it would be the first of our many annual trips we'd make on the same day each year."

"I charmed this broom for you on the first Sunday you were away after our wedding. I thought you'd be more comfortable and safe on this," he handed over the miniaturized broom to her. "I polished it to match the color of your eyes from the second Saturday after our wedding, when you woke up all wanton in my arms," his smile was a little pained at that.

"It's from our wedding," he handed her a photograph in which he was looking intently at her while she was pointing at the lights above them. "That was the only time you actually spoke to me at our wedding." She winced at that, thinking back to their wedding and realizing that that was the truth.

And one after the other he kept pulling out stuff from the bowl and passing it over to Hermione, explaining its importance to him.

At the last one, he took the wind out of her sails.

"I wanted to surprise you. I took two weeks off adjoining the Christmas break. I thought we could celebrate Christmas here with my parents and New Year's with yours. That way even if they were out for the holidays, you'd get to see them once they'd be back. You always keep saying that we'd need to cross hemispheres to get some privacy and you mentioned you didn't want a honeymoon before your NEWTs, so I…." he passed on the tickets to her. "You once mentioned that it was not flying that you hated, just flying on things that weren't meant to be flown," he half smiled at that. "So I thought we'd give the muggle flying machine a try. I also rented the house just beside your parents' for the entire duration of our stay. I thought you might like to see them often. That since we'd be neighbors, we could charm them to get an opportunity to baby sit your sister, for a chance to get to know her. We… we might.." and he hid his face in his hands, rubbing at it furiously.

"Is this retribution Hermione?" he asked a little broken.

She stared at him in confusion.

"Are you punishing me for my horrid behavior in the beginning of our relationship? For staring at that woman on our first date? For being a jerk on our first night? Is that it? Is this pay back?" he asked defeat in his features.

"What! No! Oliver, how could you even think such a thing?" she leaned a little away to look at him, placing her hands on his cheeks.

And he snapped, "How could I think such a thing? **I,** Hermione? How are _you_ able to think all these things at all? I'm your **husband** for Merlin's sake. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"It does Oliver and that's why am trying to do what's best for you."

" **YOU ARE WHAT'S BEST FOR ME, YOU DAFT WOMAN!** " he thundered, "AGREE TO IT OR DON'T, BUT YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO CONVINCE ME OF ANYTHING ELSE." Taking a breath to calm himself he tried again, "When have I ever given you any reason to think otherwise? Where am I going wrong Hermione? Tell me. Please. I beg of you, just please explain this to me."

She saw the pain in his eyes. Her proud Scot was reduced to begging in front of her and she couldn't see it anymore. She just turned her head the other way around, tears running down her eyes – How did she explain this to him? Why was he making an already difficult situation unbearable for them both? She was breaking her heart to straighten up things for him and yet he was getting angry on her. How was she to explain things to him? How did she help him see it the right way?

"Where did I go wrong Hermione? Why are you doing this to us? Is your fear, your inhibition really that important to you that you won't let it go? Or is it really my fault for not addressing your worries and insecurities sooner. I just thought I was showing you.. that you understood.. that we could…" he said defeatedly and then he abruptly got up and walked out.

Hermione sat there, staring at everything in her hands and hugged her knees to her chest and cried for a long time.

!

He took a long walk all around the estate. Just walking, not really seeing or thinking. Just being. When he came back home, he found her sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, her beaded bag in hand. "Oliver, I…" she started "are leaving me" he finished for her. She froze but did not deny it. He was torn, not knowing what to do or say any more. He was exhausted, too tired, too spent to do anything.

"Do what you want to Hermione… do what you wish, but know this… I'll be right here waiting for you to come to your senses. And if you don't do just that soon enough, I'll…." and he stopped, _what was the point anyway?_ "Just go Hermione, do what you have to," he whispered in the same broken tone he had used in the backyard while showing her all his stuff. He then just walked off, without a backward glance.

!

Hermione went and stayed at Grimmauld Place with Harry and Ginny. She went straight to her room there and cried her eyes out. Two of her best friends just stared at her running figure, both unsure of what to do. "Time.." Ginny said to Harry, "let's just give her some time." He looked conflicted but nodded, knowing Ginny would understand girls much better than him anyway.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 21:**

It had been a little more than a week since he last saw her. He didn't even know if she was there in the country or out on a mission. He'd almost talked himself into going to the Burrow on both the Sundays after she'd left him, simply to see her, hear her voice but he'd held himself back, knowing she'd need more time.

So, Puddlemere Captain Oliver Wood, got dressed, picked up his quidditch bag and made his way to the stadium every single day after that first leave of absence he'd ever taken. He put on his mask of professionalism, one that he'd perfected over the years and worked through the day. For once even quidditch wasn't giving him any peace. He rode the team, punished the bludgers and quaffles and flew grueling lengths but nothing numbed his pain.

On the second Monday after Hermione left, during lunch break when he came down to the family box, he was immediately enveloped in a long hug. _Tatyana,_ he groaned. And that's when it hit him. Out of respect for the fairer sex, he had never really been mean to her about the long hugs and kisses and the unwanted pet name calling. Sure, he'd liked it at first, but once he'd married Hermione, he'd only ever felt discomfort at it all but he'd never stopped her. Maybe Hermione saw all of this and that's what made her leave him, he thought, grouchily. Just when he was having his eureka moment, he felt Tatyana running her hand up and down his back, slipping it lower with each stroke and he narrowed his eyes at that.

"You know I really think this will work out well for us all. Maybe we could discuss it in more detail over dinner tonight? My place?" she added suggestively, leaving him in no doubt about what was on offer after the dinner.

 _What's wrong with women and their understanding of holy matrimony!_ he thought darkly, deciding to put an end to that charade right away. He fixed her with his most icy and contemptuous glare and lashed out in no uncertain terms that he was a married man and that he was absolutely not in the market for a mistress.

She stood there mute through it all and as a parting shot asked him to speak with _his wife_ about his current marital status and then he'd understand his need for her in his life. She even threw back bitingly that he'd know where to find her once his chat with his wife was done.

And he saw red! If Hermione was quitting on him and throwing Tatyana on his face as a replacement she could think again! His scathing look was enough for Tatyana, making her stumble back and he apparated away to the Burrow with a loud crack.

!

Ginny had finally managed to talk Hermione into going to the Burrow that same day. She had missed both the Sunday lunches and no one had a clue about what she did anymore. So George, Harry and Ron were on a leave that day to take her mind off things and hear her out should she want to talk to any of them. Hermione was too emotionally spent to do anything other than smile at the antics the five people around her were playing. Mrs. Weasley was out with friends so the little group was way too boisterous without any supervision whatsoever.

Oliver stormed into the Burrow, anger etched in every taut muscle, a nerve popping at his forehead. He saw her sitting there laughing with George and Harry. _She was laughing!_ After making him go through hell twice over, she was sitting there laughing with her friends! He seethed in his own anger, huffing out his question at her back, uncaring about causing a scene anymore. "Could you please tell me why you're throwing another woman at my face Hermione?" She stiffened at his question. She had honestly thought he'd appreciate her efforts by now, that the weeks away would have helped him understand her short comings and so she was not ready for this showdown. She turned slowly to face him and saw him rooted by the door, his entire body taut with tension. He was still wearing his practice robes and since it was mid-day she assumed he was here from between the session.

"Oliver" she smiled tentatively, "are you here on your lunch break? You know you need to….."

He fisted his hands at his sides, trying to control his fury, willing her to assuage his fears and abate his anger when he finally snapped, "Don't you dare go there, lass. Tell me why is it that you're so keen on hooking me, your own fucking husband, with another woman? Is it some twisted sort of a game for you?"

Hermione cringed at his insinuation but tried to help him understand her reasons again. If only he realized that it was all for his happiness, he wouldn't be this angry, she reasoned. She didn't want to end things badly with him. Merlin knew she needed him to be a part of her life, however small, but she needed him there. She just couldn't bring herself to think of a life without him in it, and that's why she had speeded up the process, fighting with Kingsley first and then tracking Tatyana down and helping her understand everything, wanting for Oliver to be happy sooner.

Oliver was so zoned in on Hermione that he did not even realize when all the others filed out of the room. A good thing too, for if he had, he was sure to have asked them to wait to help him understand what exactly was wrong with her and with him! "Damn it woman! Answer me!" he growled at her.

"Oliver, I … Oliver she is best for you. You must see that. She is beautiful, she understands you, your passions, she can speak quidditch with you, she….. She's everything I'm not Oliver…. You don't have to suffer me all through your life. You can be happy with her. You must see that."

He walked up to her, looking deep in her eyes. "So that's it then. You are pushing her on me because of your insecurities. You'd rather let your fear rule over you than face it?" he tried to understand. _Maybe if I understand where she's coming from, I can help her see some sense_ he reasoned.

"It's more than that Oliver, much more. You should have had a chance to fall in love with her. You should have had a chance to marry her, instead you were stuck with me."

"So just because it's happening the other way around for us it's wrong? Is _that_ it then?" he questioned, desperately trying to understand the reason behind his ultimate grief. He'd been officially announced as England's Captain for the World Cup team yesterday and there was still no joy in his life because he did not have this daft woman to kiss once he went back home and that rancid tea of hers to sip on while he spoke to her about the greatest achievement of his life till date, all the while knowing that she was the only one who could top that happiness for him.

He knelt in front of her taking her hands in both of his, "Hermione… please love.. just help me understand your reasons. We can work this one out together. If you tell me your reasons, I can try to resolve them. My cluelessness about your drive is not helping either one of us," he pleaded to her.

"Oliver look at me, I'm an absolute antithesis of a quidditch wife, a complete antithesis of you! You know you can do much better," she reasoned.

 _She has thought this shit through and convinced herself of it_ Oliver realized with a sinking feeling. "Since when have you been planning this?" he whispered, suddenly all his energy sapped out of him.

"Our first date. When you…. When we ran into her," Hermione replied, shocking him to his quick.

His eyes bulged out at that. "So everything after that point was nothing but fake to you. A part of the ministry law that you had to comply with. A part of the façade you had to portray?" he asked her, shaken.

"No, no it wasn't like that Oli…."

But he continued as if she hadn't spoken at all. "So every touch, every kiss, every second of our time together was a lie?" he sounded absolutely shattered and Hermione so wanted to take that emotion out of him.

"It's not like that Oliver. You have to understand, Tatyana is the one for you. Our marriage will only ever bring you grief, but you have a chance to be happy with her."

All his previous anger came back at the mention of that name and he snapped up straight in one fluid motion glaring daggers at her. "Yes. Yes I can see that our marriage will only ever get me grief. And do you know why that is? It's because I've gone and fallen in love with a heartless, adamant, moronic witch who is too busy caught up in her own idiocy and fears to look properly at something that's staring at her right in the face. And if you even for the slightest moment think I'll give up on that senseless, neurotically obsessive woman, you can think again," and with that he barged out the door, banging it on his way out, rattling it on its hinges and was gone.

!

Hard as they tried not to, everyone else at the Burrow had heard the entire debacle, even without the use of the extendable ears.

"I'd never pegged her for a stupid," George mused "that poor sod obviously loves her."

"I knew she was dense where boys were concerned, but this….this is just taking it to a whole new planet," Ginny said, going pale with shock.

"We need to talk to her," Harry said catching Ron's eye who looked too lost in his thoughts to comment. But their wives held them back.

"She needs to figure this one out on her own," Alicia whispered softly, interlacing tentative fingers with Ron's, not knowing if she yet had the right to stop him from going to comfort his friend but knowing she had to it, for the brunette's sake.

Ron stopped, looked at their interlaced hands and then up at her eyes. "Promise me you'll never do anything of that sort. Whatever it is, we'll work it out together but I have the emotional range of a teaspoon, ask anyone they'll vouch for it. I'll never be able to live that down," he whispered to her, as if seeing her for the first time ever and then he brought his lips crushing down to hers and just like that Alicia knew, she now had every right on him, feeling secured in his arms and in their relationship, finally.

Harry smiled at the scene in front of him and looked at Ginny. Her look echoed his thoughts - _one down one more to go._ He held her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Ahh…. How I miss Angie…." George said and they all laughed, smiling internally when they saw the soft look passing between Ron and Alicia.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22:**

Hermione went through her entire married life so far, in her mind. Over and over and over and over and over yet again till she could replay everything in a single breath. His look, his words, his touche, and his kisses had said something to her, untying something deep within her. She knew she had to know it, trust it, but there was some sort of a block in her head that refused to budge.

She sat just like that, by the window in the den at the Burrow, all through that day and the next two, knees hugged close to her chest, head lying on it. She had screwed it up and how! What did she do now? And what did his tirade mean? She was giving him a chance to make a new life, a chance not afforded to many with the new law and yet he had almost threatened that he would not let her go. Why? The questions plagued her mind. And then finally around mid-day of Thursday, she knew the answer. She stood up and looked around but saw no one. She rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower, fixed herself up as best as she could and left straight for the stadium where her husband would be. She smiled at that, she finally had understood his tirade. _I've finally understood him!_ She dashed off the homestead and then came running back in and stepped into the fireplace screaming Puddlemere United Stadium loudly before disappearing in the green flames.

The four heads that were watching over her from afar since that Monday smiled, both boys looking at each other, knowing their friend would finally be happy after a very long time. And then the boys kissed their wives, expressing their happiness to have them there, in their arms.

!

He saw her walking down the stairs leading to the family box. He felt her presence as a shift in the air around him. _Oh, I'm turning sappy!_ he drawled internally. He just did not know what to do with her any more than say. So he continued with his game. Even quidditch had stopped brightening his mood, he felt that dejected, but he had kept coming here, knowing his responsibilities towards his team.

And now she was here too and he'd be damned if he let her live in her solitary bubble anymore. _If she wants to move ahead with me, and I'll bloody well make sure she does just that, she will fight her fears and come through for me_ , he vouched.

Hermione waited for the coach to signal for the team's lunch break and saw one by one, all of them fly down towards the stand and meet up with their family or move up to the cafeteria. All except the one she had come to see. He, for some weird reason, continued to hover close to those damn hoops of his, shooting an enchanted quaffle continuously, through them all, one after the other.

She waited for him to come down. Minutes ticked by, he remained up in the air. _That bastard!_ she thought, knowing exactly what he was playing at. _I don't believe I'm going to do this_ she mused darkly as she made her way to the closest team member and read the name off his back. "Hi! Uhm... Mathews?"

He turned and saw her, freezing. "Mrs. Wood," he greeted.

She smiled a little wanly at that but asked what she had to. "Uhm... I know it's too much to ask of a professional player, but could I please borrow your broom?"

Of all the things Mathews had expected her to say to him, especially after witnessing the debacle between Tatyana and Oliver two days back, this was not it. "Sure," he smiled a little, "here you go," he handed her his broom. "And don't worry, I'll have Oliver replace it with a better one if it breaks," he winked, trying to ease off the tension off her tiny shoulders but saw his joke have the absolute opposite effect and her hands tensed on his broom. He winced thinking that he would probably need a new broom when she was done with his. He gave her an encouraging smile saying, "All its safety charms are in place, don't worry. Go, get him." She smiled again and walked to the edge of the box, a prayer on her lips. _Now or never_ she thought and jumped with the broom nestled between her legs.

She had a very shaky start but Oliver was proud to see she had taken the plunge, literally. _Now for the kill_ he thought and braced himself, throwing the quaffle again.

She managed to reach him with just enough jerks to break her back. _He better take me back after this,_ she pondered, mood still dark.

"Oliver.." she hovered, kind of, behind him. He did not bother to turn. "Oliver I'm here to apologize for my stupidity."

He kept shooting the quaffle through the hoops, moving from left to right and then back again, making her follow him. He didn't need her apology, he just needed her to say the words he wanted to hear. "Will you please look at me when I'm trying to talk to you?"

"Why?" he asked, continuing his work.

"Because that's the basic courtesy you can offer me now. I'm on a bloody broom trying to talk to you and you can't even bring yourself to look at me?" she snapped.

"Doesn't sound like much of an apology to me."

She bit her tongue at that. "Oliver, I honestly did whatever I did only for your happiness. I really believed that you'd be better off with her."

"So what changed? What got you rushing here?"

That got no answer from her. "Do you remember what I told you when we met at this very stadium the first time?" He saw her nod from the corner his eyes, her head hanging a little low.

"Good. So I ask again. Why are you here?"

"I understood my mistake. I …. I mean if you…" and her broom started its erratic movements.

"Gather your thoughts, Hermione," he instructed yet again. He seemed to be going through the same instruction with her every single time. He saw her death grip on the broom and winced. _Not again!_ "Fuck Hermione," he cursed and zoomed close to her, pulling her up and straddling her on his lap facing him, before her broom gave way beneath her, snapping in two pieces and falling off. "What _is_ _it_ with you and brooms?" he asked amused.

She winced, "Mathews said he'd make you get him a better one if I broke his," seeing the two pieces falling way down and a single tiny figure moving towards it.

He smiled at that, happy to have her back in his arms, knowing he would not let her go now that he had her there, seeing how she subconsciously moved her arms around his neck and locked her ankles behind his back, pushing herself closer to him. "Did he now? We'll have to see what we can do about that now, won't we?" he whispered huskily, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear with his one free arm, the other controlling the broom, keeping it stationed near the hoops. She shivered at his touch and buried her head in his chest. After a few long seconds, she came back up and looked straight in his eyes, "I'm sorry. I acted stupidly. I promise I won't do anything like that again if you'll have me back."

He considered her statements for a second then asked, "And?"

She furrowed her brows, question in her eyes and lips, "And?"

"There's something I really want to hear you say and I can see it in your eyes, feel it in your touches. Voice it and we'll see what we can do.." he said, truly smiling after what felt like years to him.

Her eyes lit and a delicious blush ran up her cheeks, "Oliver I ….. I love you. Since the day you kissed me on our first flight on your broom, I've been falling for you. Nothing we've done was ever a lie. Not the kisses, not the touches, not to me. I just wanted to see you happy. I wanted you to have everything you deserved and more, things I couldn't give. So I …."

Oliver just bent his head down and kissed the remainder of her speech away. "I love you, Hermione. I have liked you from the time you introduced coffee to me on our first date. Did you know, you're the first and as of yet the only person, apart from my parents, that I've spoken to about things other than quidditch for hours? You show me I'm more than my obsession with the game and yet you understand that about me. My feelings for you were clinched when I saw your dastardly performance on the broom that first Sunday and I realized I still wanted to coach you through it rather than abandon you at the first opportunity I got. I wanted to weep in a corner when I slowly realized I was falling for the perfect antithesis of me. On that second Saturday, after our wedding, when you woke up all aroused and wanton under me, I knew I wanted you, just you, all through my life. That look of yours was my undoing. It is still is."

She smiled at that. "I love you Hermione and I hope we won't be doing this again, but I'll keep pulling you back to me, the firmer you try to push me away, the harder I'll pull you back, but I won't let you go. Not now. Not ever." She tugged at his hair and got him down at that. Kissing him with all the love she had for him. When they finally came up for air, he whispered seductively to her, "Hold that thought for me till the evening, will you? It's been weeks since I last saw my wife. I've really missed her way too much…." Her laugh at that filled him with peace and joy. _Things will finally be as they were supposed to be_ he smiled at that happy thought and kissed her again.

When they came up for air, she tried to chastise him about missing his lunch. He just glared at her and pulled her closer, making sure she had much better things to do with her mouth than lecture him, all through his lunch break…


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23:**

After he saw her leave the stadium post the lunch break, Oliver's peace was short lived. He kept thinking of everything that had transpired between him and his wife since their first meet and he finally figured out where he'd come up short! He'd spoken to her with his actions and waited to hear the words from her, knowing that words meant more to her. And it was then that he realized his folly. _Words meant more to her!_ While he had always shown her his love, he'd never expressed it in his words and she'd never understood the true motivation behind his actions. He laughed mirthlessly in his mind thinking she'd probably explained away all his attentions as care and friendship, _huh, as if!_ She'd been plenty vocal about her doubts and insecurities right from the start and he'd only ever assuaged them with actions, never words. But he promised to change that as soon as he got home. It would probably burn him from the inside out, but he'd speak to her when he got home, before taking things any further tonight. _I will never put that off from now on. Ever!_ He absolutely did not need a repeat performance of the greatest tragedy of his life! **At all!**

!

Unfortunately, his epiphany had cost him his attention and he took one too many bludgers to his arms and head and he almost stumbled out broken from the floo.

Hermione ran to him, supporting him and got him to sit on the couch as she fetched the first aid kit and dressed his wounds, all the while ranting on yet again about him being careless to the exclusion of all else while playing that bloody game of his.

He smiled his soft crinkled smile at that. "See, this what I mean." And she just threw a look of pure anger his way and got back to work.

"Hermione, this is what I mean when I say you're the best thing to ever happen to me. You understand my passion for the game and though you hate it with vengeance, you are the one to dress my wounds. You come to massage my crinks out when I'm sore. You find innovative ways to motivate me to exercise on the weekends." She gave a half smile at that, as if remembering him kissing her while he did his pushups. "It was just for you that I did 500 that day. I usually just stop at 150. Your laughter and our kisses intoxicated me." She looked down, blushing, lavishing way too much attention on a tiny cut on his arm.

"The first time I saw you, when you came down to the stadium with Ginny, I stood by the door, taking the sight in. I thought your hair was glorious. I still do." He pulled at a stray strand and tucked it behind her ear. "I itch to have my hands in it. I love the way it spreads on the pillows and the bed when I take you." He paused for a bit there, as if seeing just that in his mind, before he continued, "I thoroughly checked out your legs that day and they became a permanent fixture to my dreams then on. And then I laughed inside for liking anything of a girl I hadn't even seen the face of in 4 years!" He smiled fondly at that memory.

"On our first date when you said you wouldn't be sleeping that night, I knew neither would I, but it would be thoughts of you, not the coffee in me that would keep me awake. And since the next day I've carried muggle money with me, hoping you'd ask me out for coffee again someday." She looked at him all intrigued now.

"You know, I've been studying your eyes since our first date. They speak to me like no else. I can name most colors and tell you what emotion that symbolizes. Your eyes told me about your grief on your parent's anniversary." She thought back to that day and remembered him asking about her parents immediately, before she'd even gotten a word out and looked up to see him then. "Just like I know now you're wondering about when and how I did it all," he smiled.

"The first time I held you in my arms at the ministry ball, I thought you were custom made for me. Just me. Made to fit perfectly against me, in my arms, and I chided myself in my head all night long for my sappy thoughts."

"The day you told me about your little chat with Kingsley, I wanted to punch holes through a wall, I was so consumed with jealousy at the thought of you with some other man. I soon had similar thoughts about Charlie by the way, and had to fist my hands in my pockets to keep from punching him for attending his own family gettogether."

"Since the day you walked in this house, you've made it a home and instilled yourself in it. I couldn't bear to stand in any room here, the first day you went for your mission. Everywhere I looked I saw you. I saw _us_. I had to take myself out to be able to hold on to sanity. Fat lot of good that me too! I went to Wood Manor to see my parents and kept throwing fugitive glances at your empty chair all night long."

"The one day that you were awake before leaving again I begged in my head for you to not leave me again. The day we got back from Ginny's, and you laughed in my arms, I knew there was finally life back in the house."

"These last few weeks were hell for me Hermione. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. I couldn't even cry. I had dreamed of captaining the national team since I was four, and yet when it was finally official, I was unhappy because I didn't have you with me to share in that joy. Because I knew…" he took in deep breath at that, "because I knew that day wouldn't hold a candle to my joy when you'd finally agree to bless me with a child. To the day when you'd tell me the happy news. And to the one when I'd finally hold the little bundle of joy in my arms, with you sitting beside me on your bed."

"Hermione, I…. I am that guy… the one who woke up beside you one fine morning to realize you're the one for me. There would be no going back. Ever. On that Saturday morning, having you melting, wanton and willing in my arms with your eyes speaking volumes… I'll never be able to express myself on that one. I knew, I just knew then that you were the one for me. Since then I've only ever been grateful to the ministry for getting us together."

He rubbed his thumb to her cheeks, the gesture so familiar to her that she could only smile at it. "Hermione I think you're gorgeous! On our first night, while you were bent over the stove, willing the teapot to work slow, I was aching with need to rid you off your clothes. I'd worked myself into a state. Every kiss before that, I had to school my hands to keep them away from you, to just take what you gave and not demand more. And that's why I lost control that night. I'll never be able to forgive myself for what I did b…" she placed her finger on his lips, "How many times do I need to tell you that I wouldn't change a thing about it. I loved every touch of yours Oliver. Will you please let that guilt of yours go? I'll even fly quietly with you if you promise me you _will not_ think of our first night together with guilt or remorse ever again."

His smile was a little strained at that. "You've always been like this, you know. Caring about me and my feelings, right since our first flight together you've ensured I'd be safe and happy too."

"When you came to me in the shower on that first Monday morning after our wedding and called me yours, I've been a goner since. I really did become yours Hermione. I really did."

"You have no idea about the magic you work on me. Your eyes speak. Your kisses," he kissed her at that, "they drive me crazy, rising me to fever pitch." He shrugged her out of her t-shirt, her bra following its course immediately. "Your skin feels so supple and soft against mine," he said running his hands and lips all over her exposed front and back. "I must have gone through three hundred different pashminas before I chose that one for you. It was the closest thing that they had to the texture of your skin and I only ever wanted the best to be touching you."

He then moved to her breasts, cupping them in his big hands and rubbing his thumbs against their erect peaks. "These feel as if they were mapped to fit my hands. The first time I saw them, I knew I'd never get enough of them. There's a reason why I always tug at your t-shirt first. I just want to.." and he dipped his head on her chest and showed her exactly what he wanted to do with them, to them. And he slowly kissed his way down, making space on the couch to accommodate her legs on it, to have her lie down under him. While kissing her chest and stomach, he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down along with her underwear, chucking them both carelessly over his head.

"Your moans," he said biting on her navel, eliciting a loud moan from her, "drive all my blood down, making me ache so bad for you that once I'm at that point, I wouldn't stop even if the house came down crashing all around us."

"Did you know, you are by far the sweetest woman I've ever tasted? I would any day happily just have you for dessert." And he stretched her legs apart, hooking one on the couch's backrest and one over his shoulder as he bent his head down to her core and did just that, till she was panting and moaning in his arms, gathering her breath from her first crash.

He shrugged out of his clothes while she did that and came back to the couch placing himself between her legs. "This, Hermione, is how I like it," he whispered seductively, embedding three of his fingers deep in her and working their magic on her as he kissed and nipped at her all over again, all the while looking deep in her eyes.

He smiled triumphantly when she came again and her eyes changed their color to his favorite shade. "That's the color that drives me over the edge. Makes me want to do this all over again, all day long. That's the one that's my undoing, and will always be." He kissed her soundly at that.

"And this, Hermione, is how it is meant to be," he said a little gruffly and entered her in one swift motion, raising her to fever pitch, stroke by slow stroke, coiling the tension tightly in her till she was slithering under him, begging him to increase their pace.

He smirked, "This, is my wanton woman, the one who keeps me coming on to her, the one I fall for every night, all over again," and he increased the pace to a demanding rhythm and she met him all the way crashing once more before he finally let himself go, falling on her chest, just like he always did.

"This is us Hermione. And I'll take great pleasure in demonstrating this to you every single day, for the rest of my life." He kissed her then, putting all his love for her in that one kiss. "I love you Hermione. I have for quite some time now. I was stupid enough to wait to say it to you, convincing myself that you may get uncomfortable if I expressed my love so soon, so I thought I'd show you instead. I let my actions speak to you, hoping you'd understand. But I won't make the same mistake twice."

He looked deep in her eyes saying, "From now on, my dear darling love, I'll give you both, my actions and my words. I won't let any doubts about us touch you ever again, I promise." Saying this, he bent his head for a kiss again and she responded to it immediately, hugging him crushingly into her, as if she could not have enough of him. He smiled at that. _All was finally well._

"I love you Oliver. I have been falling for you since our first kiss. It killed me to do all that but I thought that's what.." and she trailed away as Oliver kissed her again.

"It doesn't matter love. We're new in this relationship. There are bound to be misunderstandings. Let's just work towards solving them and I'm sure we'll get through just fine," he said, showing all his love for her in his eyes, his words, his kisses and his touches all over again.

"I love you lass. I always will."

"And I love you Oliver. I always will."

He heaved in a deep breath at that, as they both lay there, content in each other's arms, happy to be back there….. _Finally!_


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 24:**

Oliver sighed as he saw his wife's sleepy form draped all over the bed. She was lying down on her tummy and the sheets barely covered her sexy ass leaving everything else bare, much to his amusement. Cursing in his mind because he had no time then to enjoy the enchanting treats that were on offer, he just drank in her sight for a few more minutes before he had to rush to the stadium for his practise. He had kept her awake well into the night and woken her up almost every hour after that. He had needed the reassurance last night… he had needed to know that she was really there beside him, with him… and not just a fragment of his destitute imagination…

There were major changes Oliver planned on making in their relationship and tonight he'd discuss them with her. _No more hiding._ That was his new moto. He smiled at that. _She really is not hiding anything of hers right now and I'll end up taking full advantage of just that if I don't leave immediately._ He walked up to her and kissed her forehead, leaving a small note to say 'I love you' beside the tea he'd heat charmed and kept for her on the bedside table along with a potion for soreness should she need one. He smirked. He really needed her fighting fit from tonight. He had the weekend off after all. Smiling at that happy thought, he made his way to the fireplace.

That evening he took his time to savour her tea as he heard her talk about her day. _I just don't want to live without this ever again_ he realized and said as much. Motivated by her smile, he opened up the bigger topics they usually took care to avoid and steered the conversations towards them.

Within a few short weeks, Hermione had confessed to him about everything. Her joy of finding out she was a witch, her life before and after that, her feelings of forever being a mis-fit, her pain at obliviating herself from her parents' memory, the battles she had fought over the years, the trio's year of run, the snatchers, the torture, the scar, the losses, the horcruxes, Ron's abandonment, then his return, and everything else in between.

He told her about every single aspect of his life so far. She did not laugh when she realised that everything was quidditch related before her. She kissed his nose and told him that she loved that singular focus and passion about him, shyly confessing that she'd always admired exactly that about him, even in their Hogwarts days. She told him she'd look up at him after checking for Harry every single time and she'd seen his zeal and one-mindedness all through their practise session and matches. He smiled and held her closer at that.

He finally even confided in her about his feelings of family over-dose every weekend and how he wanted to see her at all of his matches, kissing him good luck before the match, cheering for him during it and celebrating with him after it. They settled for seeing the family every other Sunday instead of every single one, with Hermione firmly putting in that the family Sundays would entail Weasley family lunches and Wood family dinners. He hadn't expected anything else from her, so he simply put up his hands in surrender and agreed. She promised him she'd be there for him, as much as he wanted. He kissed her at that and they were soon lost to the world.

They were communicating and taking steps towards each other. And finally their relationship was blossoming the way they both wanted. The way they both needed.

!

Hermione gave her NEWTs and got all O just as Oliver had expected she would. He threw a big party in her honor with all their friends and family in attendance and she remained glued to his side all through the evening.

After a lot of thought she decided to take up healer's training but instead of working at St. Mungo's, she thought of opening up her own private practice, something very common with the muggle doctors she explained to Oliver, giving her the freedom of shuffling her hours around. She figured she would alternate her free time between working for her beloved house-elves, trying to pass laws to set them free and Oliver's matches, travelling with him as much as she could for their away matches and getting home around the same time he did on the days he was in the country.

They walked a little around the estate every morning, hand in hand, and spoke about their day every evening while he drank her tea. And they both offered each other tit-bits wherever they could to help ease off the stress of their professional life.

They'd come a long way in the past 6 months Oliver thought as he was walking till the floo at the stadium to go home to his wife. He was happy with the way everything was progressing in every aspect of his life. He smiled, tucking his hands in his pockets, he made his way to the fireplace, threw in a pinch of floo powder and shouted 'Wood Park'.


	26. Chapter 26

**Epilogue:**

 _10 months later…._

England had made it to the World Cup finals and the team was just lining up for their grand entrance before the game, when Hermione quickly slipped beside Oliver and tugged at his wrist. Astonished to see her there by the player's entry, he turned and bent in a little, squeezing her hand for some courage to settle his nerves.

She smiled and pulled him down, kissing him square on his lips. "For good luck," she whispered when they came up for air. "Win this one for me Oliver and I'll surprise you after the match," she said, eyes all warm and caramel. He smiled then and nodded and stepped out when their team was called.

The match went on for six long hours and Hermione only saw Oliver all through it. His moves, his saves, his misses, his instructions, his dedication and she smiled, proud to know he was hers and she his. Her heart missed a beat when he almost fell off the broom and she cursed the damned game and the quaffle in one single breath. He saved enough goals that it didn't even matter if Spain's keeper caught the snitch, England would still win. And yet, England's seeker, Henry Rotter, caught the snitch and the crowd went wild. England had won! Hermione breezed down to the player's entry point to congratulate Oliver.

He only looked for her in the family box and flashed her a blinding smile when he saw her at the edge of the pitch, waiting for him excitedly. He flew to her and crushed her into him, bringing her in for a long passionate kiss as the flashes erupted all around them, both uncaring, neither noticing anything beyond the other.

"Congratulations!" she whispered.

"I won it for you. Just like you asked me to," he said and brought her into him, crushing her yet again.

They waited for all the formalities and the interviews to finish before popping into their hotel room to freshen up and change for the closing-of-the-event party. He jumped her the minute they were alone and she melted into him forgetting all about everything else but him.

"Had it not been for the entire wizarding world watching us, I'd have done this right at the stadium," he murmured throatily to her, taking her slowly, savoring every single feel of hers and storing it in his memory for posterity.

It was quite later, after all the toasts and the back slaps and yet more interviews, that Oliver was sitting at the bar, alone, drinking in everything unfurling around him, when Hermione sat beside him again.

"I can't tell you how proud I'm of you," she said.

He smiled and simply looked at her. "And you know what makes it perfect? Having you here with me, to share in my joy," he said, his tone all sincere and his eyes full of love.

She bit her lip at that. "I think I can do better," she whispered and put her entire arm in her beaded bag and pulled out a tiny soft quaffle, barely the size of his palm and a muggle marker pen.

He looked at her intrigued and she laughed. "Humor me Oliver. Here, sign this for me with today's date," and she handed both the items to him and he did just that.

"Is it a souvenir for my glass bowl?" he asked, eyeing the cute little quaffle with interest.

She shrugged. "You could keep it there for the next few months and then after a few years I guess," she replied, looking bashfully at him.

He simply stared at her and tried to figure the puzzle out when he suddenly saw the drink in her hand. _Water!_ His gaze sharpened as he looked her all-over and felt punched. His eyes widened, "You're… We're… WHEN?" he stammered.

She laughed. "I found out last month but I didn't want to upset your routine while you were on your tour playing the knock offs, so I thought I'd wait it out. We're two months down, seven more to go. And I'm glad you'll be at home a little more now, to fulfill all my cravings and hmm…"

And he was back to kissing her, way too passionately in front of the entire international wizarding media! As soon as they came up for air and he noticed all the flashes around them, he immediately apparated them back to their room and had her lying on the bed and stripped within the blink of an eye.

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, you go ahead and change that! Do you even realize how much this means to me? Thank you.. thank you.. thank you…" and he kissed her, expressing his gratitude to her in a very special way for a very long time.

Finally, when they were panting in each other's arms, he lovingly stroked her hair. "Tell me about all your appointments that I've missed. And from here on out, I want to be there for every single one of them so tell me the dates and time in advance and I'll set everything from there. Oh! I still can't believe it!" he groaned and kissed her yet again.

"This little peanut here," he said, placing his big hand on her tummy, "is going to be the biggest quidditch crazy brainiac ever," he promised and kissed her all over again.

"Oh I forgot! I have something for you!" she said again and summoned her bag towards her.

"There's more? You'd tell me if we're having twins right? I'd be one proud Wood! Imagine breaking a centuries old record!" he grinned proudly at her.

She laughed. "It's too soon to know that but I promise that if it's not twins, I'm gonna make you try real hard for a second one," she said and he groaned and kissed her hard again.

"You've sworn to kill me, haven't you?" he asked, eyes shining.

"Ah.. Here.." she said and handed him a tiny toffee style wrapped gift. He just grinned as he open it. In it was a small onesie in England team's colors with tiny golden hoops above the words – I'm a keeper, just like my Da!

His eyes misted over a little at that and he looked lovingly at his wife. "That's for your glass bowl. I thought we could get the baby home from the hospital in it and then you could have it for your ….. hhmmm"

"You're just the best Hermione. I so.. so.. so.. love you, you know that!" he said between kisses.

She laughed, wrapped in his arms as he bent down on her and kept kissing her. "And you're just what I needed in my life Oliver. I so love you too!" and she returned all his kisses with as much fervor and passion….


End file.
